Olympics: Heat warning issued for Paris, mercury to reach 35 degree Celsius

2024 Paris Olympics: Paris is under a 'yellow' alert due to a persistent heatwave impacting various Olympic venues throughout the country

France’s meteorological agency on Tuesday issued a weather alert for Paris and nearby areas as the city hosts the 2024 Olympic Games. The warning highlights expected storms and temperatures reaching 35 degrees Celsius for Tuesday.

Paris is under a ‘yellow’ alert, the second tier of four warning levels, due to a persistent heatwave impacting various Olympic venues throughout the country. This alert level suggests that people should ‘be attentive’ to the effects of heat, particularly during physical activities or sports.

Other French cities, such as Bordeaux and Lyon, are facing a higher “orange alert” as temperatures reached 40 degrees Celsius on Monday. These extreme conditions are expected to persist on Tuesday, coinciding with scheduled Olympic football matches in these cities. Paris’s yellow alert was issued due to the forecasted “very hot” overnight temperatures, which are not expected to fall below 22 degrees Celsius between July 30 and July 31.

 

Heatwave threatens Paris Olympic events

The intense heat will affect both athletes and spectators, especially during outdoor events in Paris and surrounding suburbs. Notable events include beach volleyball at the Eiffel Tower, BMX freestyle qualifiers at Place de la Concorde, and the women’s rugby sevens semi-finals at Stade de France. In Bordeaux, where Spain will compete against Egypt in a football match on Tuesday afternoon, temperatures might hit 38 degrees Celsius before easing later in the day.

Lyon will experience similar high temperatures as Ukraine’s football team plays against Argentina.
 

In Chateauroux, central France, where Olympic shooting events are being held, temperatures could rise to 36 degrees Celsius on Tuesday. Given these extreme conditions, some athletes had previously requested changes to event schedules due to concerns about the physical strain of competing in such heat and the risk of heatstroke.

Olympics 2024: Triathlon event cancelled

World Triathlon announced on Tuesday that the men’s triathlon at the Paris Olympics has been cancelled due to elevated pollution levels in the Seine. The race has been rescheduled to Wednesday at 10.45 am local time (08.45 GMT), following the women's event, which is set to start at 8 am that day.

[With agency inputs]