An Arab diplomat told AFP on Wednesday that at least 600 Egyptians died during the hajj pilgrimage, citing searing heat that reached 51.8 degrees Celsius (125 degrees Fahrenheit) on Monday. “All of the (newly confirmed) deaths were because of the heat as well,” the diplomat said after Arab officials earlier reported a figure of at least 323 Egyptian deaths.  

At least 19 Jordanian and Iranian pilgrims have died while on the hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, authorities from their countries said on Sunday, as temperatures soar in the kingdom. “Fourteen Jordanian pilgrims died and 17 others were missing” during the performance of hajj rituals, Jordan’s foreign ministry said in a statement. AFP reports that the ministry later confirmed that …

Heatwaves intensified across southern and Eastern Europe, Asia, and much of the United States yesterday as the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) warned of an increased risk of deaths due to the extreme weather. Across the U.S., Americans grappled with a medley of extreme weather, from blazing heat to wildfire smoke-choked air and flood warnings, with a tropical storm headed for …