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The 2024 Summer Olympics are underway in Paris, France! The weather has been extremely hot for the past few days, leading to a heat wave. However, the average temperatures have been climbing due to global warming.
Let’s look at Paris for example. Comparing the city’s last Summer Olympics in 1924 to 2024 there has been a significant warming trend. Over this 100-year period, specifically looking at the dates of this year’s Olympics from July 26 to August 11, the average temperatures in Paris have warmed about 5.5 degrees Fahrenheit.
Daily high temperatures have been much warmer than usual in recent years as well. In just the past decade from 2014 to 2023, Paris has had 188 days with high temperatures at 86 degrees or warmer. The decade following the last Paris Olympics from 1924 to 1933, Paris only had 69 days with high temperatures at 86 degrees or above. This means we have more than doubled, nearly tripled the number of hot days in Paris in recent years.
Even at night, the temperatures have been noticeably warmer. Over the past decade from 2014 to 2023, there have been 84 nights with low temperatures at 68 degrees or warmer. However, in the decade following the last Paris Olympics from 1924 to 1933, there have only been 4 nights with temperatures at 68 degrees or above. That means in recent years we have had 21 times the number of warm overnights, this is even more impressive than the daily highs.
How does the heat affect athletes in the Olympics? There is the risk for heat illness when the frequency and intensity of play is high during intense heat. Plus, the time of day and duration of exposure to the heat also plays a role. Along with the opportunity to recover from the heat, to allow your body temperature to cool back down before resuming activities.
The humidity also is a big concern when it comes to heat illness. When it’s hot outside, the higher the humidity the harder it is for our sweat to evaporate. When sweat evaporates, it cools down our bodies, but when it’s humid then sweat cools less. Also, our heart pumps faster and kidneys work harder which can lead to heat exhaustion. To reduce this risk, athletes must limit their time outdoors, take breaks in a cool area, drink plenty of water, wear a hat and light clothing.
The heat is becoming more common in Paris and across the globe, which may end up moving the Summer Olympics to the spring or fall if the heat becomes too intense and causes too many hospitalities or deaths. Afterall, heat is the number one weather killer.