The opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympics was infamously held in torrential rain, leaving athletes and spectators drenched to the bone. Now, however, they were presented with the opposite situation on Tuesday: a heatwave.
most France On Tuesday, France had issued a heat wave warning for Paris and its environs from parts of which temperatures could touch or exceed 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit), according to Meteo-France. universal.
However, it is anticipated that in southern regions such as around Marseille along the Mediterranean coast, it will be warmer. olympic games This would include football and sailing. In parts of southern France on Monday, the mercury rose as high as 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) and there were prospects of hitting that level again today.
Climate change has led to extreme weather being more common and more intense due to global record high temperatures last week. The organizers of Paris 2024 aim at reducing their carbon footprint by having floor cooling systems instead of using air conditioning for their athletes’ Olympics village homes among other measures like insulation. They brought some too such as America.
Government officials and Olympic organizers are preparing tourists and athletes for an even sweatier sunnier Tuesday after a damp start to the Olympics. Thunderstorms are expected over Paris tonight.
At this city park Place de la Concorde where skateboarding as well BMX freestyle bike competitions are also taking place one can find several men set up while others have already started ducking into water fountains or getting ice cream cones to cool off against another hot Monday.
More than 2.5 million cups of water are going to be provided across its transport network at over 70 train stations, bus stops including numerous other points by Ile-de-France Mobilités —the Paris region’s train and metro operator.
In contrast, however, the equestrian team can keep horses refreshed between races through a scheme at the Royal Gardens of Versailles outside Paris.
After their rides are over, the animals are sprayed with cold water on both sides, and then left in the shade for a short while.
“Honestly, I am more worried about the spectators,” said German rider Julia Krajewski, the current Olympics champion in individual eventing.
Apart from that, she is not concerned about riding in bulky jackets, helmets and heavy boots as long as there is no rain.
“I like hot better than cold,” Krajewski said Monday. “You don’t fight with heat.” Of course you have to be sensitive and know your horse’ (but) the average person struggles more than a horse.”
In light of other competitors who also took part in Monday’s events where temperatures reached 30 degrees Celsius (high 80s Fahrenheit), Gauff was among those who did not seem too bothered by it either.
The American tennis player Coco Gauff confirmed that she “felt good” after the match and “just like playing in Florida”. She does not mind even if it gets hotter.
While some players are not that good in this weather, I feel like I know how to survive in it better than others,” she said. “Although I hardly use ice towels during my games, but on this occasion the situation was different.”
In contrast though, Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic who defeated his rival Rafael Nadal found it ‘extremely hot on the court’ and mentioned how things have changed since rain occurred last Saturday. “Predicting the weather in Paris is very hard.”
After playing at Marseille earlier on Monday where temperatures reached 88 degrees by late afternoon American windsurfer Dominique Stater wore a vest filled with ice packs.
“It’s too hot, hotter than Miami” said Start who comes from Florida’s hottest metropolis.
Stadt added that one must drink fluids especially because windsurfers wear a lot of protective clothing.
Stay hydrated, don’t go outside during the hottest hours of the day and put on your hat, say meteorologists advising people to be cautious about going outdoors tomorrow Tuesday.
Heat waves are “increasingly intense, frequent, early and persistent” according to Meteo France. The report states that prior to 1989 such high temperatures were experienced once every five years on average while since 2000 they have happened for each year. This trend is projected to increase further.
