Manama: Dust storms and rain have greeted the first pilgrims to arrive in Arafat for a day of supplication and devotion.
However, the freak weather on Sunday evening did not last long and the damage in the open plain in the outskirts of Makkah was limited.
The rain which started in the early evening lasted for less than an hour during which people coming in from the tent city of Mina watched the night sky light up with flashes of lightning
Officials said there were no casualties and that it took less than three hours to get things back to normal and pointed out that “even the roads are now completely dry”.
Civil Defence officers said they were ready to deal with every situation.
“Sunday’s sandstorm in Arafat did not affect the safety of pilgrims and there was slight damage to a limited number of tents and they have been restored to their normal state,” Mohammad Al Qamash, spokesman of the Civil Defence Directorate, said. “The overall situation at the holy sites is stable,” he added, but urged pilgrims to follow safety instructions issued by the authorities.
About 2.3 million Muslims from every corner of the globe congregated shoulder-to-shoulder to attend the Dhuhr and Asr prayers and will spend the rest of the day praying individually. Right after sunset, they will head to Muzdalifah, in the vicinity, for more prayers.
The inclement weather was expected to continue on Monday and the General Authority of Meteorology and Environmental Protection forecasts “chances for thunderstorms accompanied by active dust and winds that limit horizontal visibility on the heights of Jazan, Asir, Baha and Makkah, stretching to the heights of Madinah. Surface wind will cover the eastern and central kingdom”.
In nearby Makkah, no rain was recorded, but the high wind that blew over the Grand Mosque buffeted the black covers of the Kaaba as the authorities loosened them in the evening ahead of changing them at dawn as per the annual tradition coinciding with Haj.
