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Before the pandemic, heat stroke was the biggest risk to athletes for the Tokyo Olympics, but during the first week of the Games the heat has been compounded by humidity values ranging from 66 to 84%, making it feel much hotter, and limiting the body’s ability to cool down through sweat and evaporation.
“When you take into account not only the temperature, but also humidity, I would say that a Tokyo Summer is the worst in the history of Olympics,” says Makoto Yokohari, professor of environment and urban planning at the University of Tokyo and adviser to Tokyo 2020, who spoke to CNN before the Games started.
During the Olympics it’s often been 90 degrees or higher, but with humidity, it can feel like triple digits. More than 1,000 deaths were recorded from the country’s 2018 heatwave. This year, from July 19-25, more than 8,000 people have been hospitalized for possible heat stroke.
The International Olympic Committee has said it has been taking precautions to deal with the heat,…
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