[karah rucker]

PEOPLE ARE EXPERIENCING EXTREME WEATHER ALL ACROSS THE GLOBE – INCLUDING DANGEROUS HEAT – WHICH is taking a major toll IN THE MIDDLE EAST at a time millions are visiting there for a sacred religious journey for muslims known as “hajj pilgrimage.”

MORE THAN ONE THOUSAND PEOPLE HAVE DIED DURING THIS YEAR’S HAJJ PILGRIMAGE to Mecca IN SAUDI ARABIA —

AS TEMPERATURES REACHED 120 DEGREES.

SAUDI OFFICIALS SAYING 83 PERCENT OF THOSE WHO DIED WERE “UNAUTHORIZED PILGRIMS” WHO WALKED LONG DISTANCES WITHOUT ADEQUATE SHELTER. EGYPT REVOKING THE LICENSES OF 16 TRAVEL AGENCIES ACCUSED OF HELPING THE UNAUTHORIZED VISITORS.

AMONG THE 1 POINT 8 MILLION PEOPLE WHO WERE AUTHORIZED —  A COUPLE FROM MARYLAND – WHO REPORTEDLY DIED ON THE JOURNEY FROM HEAT STROKE. THEIR DAUGHTER TELLING CNN – HER PARENTS HAD SAVED UP THEIR LIFE SAVINGS TO MAKE THE PILGRIMAGE.

HERE IN THE U.S. – A HEAT DOME IS IMPACTING 100 MILLION PEOPLE ACROSS 27 STATES  — WITH HIGH TEMPERATURE ALERTS FROM LOS ANGELES TO NEW YORK CITY.

WASHINGTON D.C. AND BALTIMORE HITTING THE 100 DEGREE MARK THIS PAST WEEKEND FOR THE FIRST TIME IN OVER A DECADE.

MEANWHILE SEVERE FLOODING FROM HEAVY RAINFALL IS THE CONCERN IN THE UPPER MIDWEST – WITH IOWA GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS DECLARING A DISASTER EMERGENCY FOR OVER 20 COUNTIES – WITH OVER 300 WATER RESCUES BEING REPORTED – AND NEARLY 2,000 PROPERTIES DAMAGED.

REYNOLDS SAYs “THE DEVaSTATION IS SEVERE AND WIDESPREAD.”

SOUTH DAKOTA GOVERNOR KRISTI NOEM DECLARING A STATEWIDE EMERGENCY – CONFIRMING ONE PERSON WAS KILLED IN THE FLOODS.

Noem says THE WORST OF THE FLOODING is expected to COME TODAY AND TOMORROW.