Paris's new norm heatwaves raise doubts for Olympic future

Eco-minded Games hosts keep air con to a minimum as they rely on shade to keep things cool

Paris has endured two red-alert heatwaves in the past five summers as climate change fuels temperature extremes. Getty Images

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At a Paris water fountain, Marcel, 11, ducks his baseball cap in water before adjusting it back on his head.

After days of heavy rain that blighted the opening ceremony and wrecked the triathlon, a heatwave has now hit the French capital as temperatures reach a sweltering 38°C in the sun.

“I feel refreshed,” says Marcel, but his father Vincent, 47, spares a thought for the athletes competing at the Olympic Games throughout the city. “It must be hard for them,” he says.

Paris 2024 organisers have been warned athletes will be at risk if France swelters in the extreme heat it has endured in recent years, as climate change throws the Olympic summer rhythm into doubt.

The hosts are banking on tents, fans and an 8am marathon to keep people cool in the French capital, which has had two red-alert heatwaves in the past five summers.

Tokyo 2020 was described as the hottest Olympics ever and world athletics bosses were warned in a recent report, Rings of Fire, that Paris “has the potential to surpass that” after setting a 42.6°C heat record in 2019.

Thermal physiologist Mike Tipton, one of the report's authors, told The National that the ideal temperature for events such as the triathlon, marathon and race walking is a far milder 11°C.

“Elite athletes can manage into the 20s, but because of climate change we’ve got something like a five to six times increased likelihood of a heatwave during the Olympics,” said Prof Tipton, who has advised Britain's Royal Air Force on survival in extreme conditions.

“If it’s like it was a couple of years ago in Paris, it could be low 40s. That’s in the area where the recommendation is 'don’t do the activity'.”

Officials and spectators could also be at risk, while ultra-competitive elite athletes may try to push through the pain at temperatures that mean their bodies struggle to lose heat, said the University of Portsmouth professor.

“You and I, if we go for a run in the heat, will get hot and we’ll start to get a drive to reduce our exercise and even stop. Elite athletes override that and they’re the ones who are likely to run to the point of collapse,” he said.

“We also see it in things like Special Forces selection. We’ve seen people lose their lives.”

Heat island

Meteorologists warn that densely-built Paris is a ‘heat island’ that can be as much as 10°C warmer than surrounding rural areas. A heatwave red alert was triggered in 2019 and 2020.

Paris 2024 organisers have war-gamed four extreme weather scenarios involving heatwaves, rain, drought and air pollution, with contingency plans for each sport. Events could be postponed if safety thresholds are crossed.

The city has also installed 1,400 “points of freshness” with water fountains, shaded areas and water mist.

Organising massive sports events is an attractive prospect for cities to generate income but it has also become a challenge due to pollution and climate change, former Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson, whose city hosted the 2010 Winter Olympics, told The National.

Host cities like Paris are increasingly using the Games to accelerate pledges to reduce air pollution and become more liveable for its residents.

Speaking in Paris at a recent meeting of eco-minded mayors from roughly 100 cities, Mr Robertson said that hosting the Olympic Games was a “win-win for the city”.

“It's very important to use major events like the Olympics to advance our most important goals around sustainability, human rights and liveable cities,” said Mr Robertson, who oversaw the Games described at the time as the greenest ever.

The organisers of the Paris 2024 Summer Games said they will emit 50 per cent less emissions than the London 2012 Games.

Having pledged a green legacy, they face what is known as the ‘cooling dilemma’ in which power-hungry air conditioners can ease the effects of global warming but drive it on at the same time.

The most powerful air con will be reserved for “strictly necessary spaces” and fans used where possible. The hosts say it is “no longer possible” to hold the Olympics “while ignoring the immense challenge posed by climate change”.

It appeared that many delegations were unconvinced as they ordered about 2,500 temporary cooling units at their own expense. Their main concern appeared to be missing sleep because of the heat.

Sydney 2000 took place in September, and the Qatar World Cup in men’s football was moved to winter. But the next two Olympics, in Los Angeles in 2028 and Brisbane in 2032, are in the usual July and August slot.

Climate change has also led to ski slopes drying up, coastal sailing clubs disappearing and cricket and tennis dealing with drought and wildfires.

Olympic future

Madeleine Orr, an author who has worked with the UN and sporting bodies on climate change, has argued for a smaller Olympics with a lower carbon footprint.

In a recent interview with The National she suggested reducing Olympic crowds to below 10,000, with most tickets going to locals, giving smaller host cities a chance.

“It’ll be fun, and the rest of us can watch from home – and most of the world does. No one’s ever blinked at the fact that poor people can’t travel to the Olympics,” she said.

Scientists have even warned that the Paris Summer Games may be the last to be held during the summer months as temperatures rise. But the idea is difficult to fathom for diehard fans who have travelled to France from far away to attend the Games.

“This is the time of year that people are on holiday, so they have the chance to come with their families and children,” said Marlon, a 60-year old tourist Brazilian tourist in Paris who lives in Norway. “There's not much we can do about climate change. We have to adapt.”

An alternative that might come into play would be for athletes to be monitored by wearable tech, possibly allowing officials to step in for their safety, said Prof Tipton.

He said tinkering around the edges of Olympic rules, for example with extra water breaks in tennis, may not be enough when heatwaves become ever more likely.

“They’re going to come more frequently, be longer-lasting and more intense. If the probability of that goes up and up and up, you’re going to have to start thinking about moving to different places, different times of the year,” he said.

“Your probability of harming someone, or diminishing the spectacle too much is going to be too high.”