This year's Islamic Hajj pilgrimage — which starts on June 14 — will not only be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for some 2 million Muslims from around 180 countries who travel to Saudi Arabia, it will also be a physical challenge as temperatures will be above average.

"The expected climate for Hajj this year will witness an increase in average temperatures of 1.5 to 2 degrees [Celsius] above normal in Mecca and Medina," national meteorology center chief Ayman Ghulam said last week.

For Mecca, which is at the heart of the five-day Hajj pilgrimage, the increase likely spells an average temperature of around 44 degrees Celsius (111 degrees Fahrenheit).

To mitigate the expected heat, all main squares in Mecca and Medina have been equipped with misting systems and portable water stations. Also, the floor of the Great Mosque in Mecca as well as surrounding tents will be air-conditioned, the Saudi authorities promised.

The Hajj pilgrimage, however, cannot be undertaken in air-conditioned environments only. Despite the heat, it involves up to 30 hours outdoors, including standing on the plain of Mount Arafat for one day between sunrise and sunset, and walking for several hours along the outskirts of Mecca on other days.

In turn, the kingdom's official platform for planning the Hajj, which every able Muslim has to undertake once in their lifetime,........

© Deutsche Welle