PARIS: Organisers of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games are paying close attention to long-term weather models, Paris 2024 chief Tony Estanguet said on Tuesday, as swathes of Europe baked again in near-record temperatures.

The heatwave engulfing the northern hemisphere is set to intensify this week, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said, with temperatures in the Mediterranean, North America, Asia and North Africa expected to be above 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) for a number of days.

“We are remaining very, very vigilant on temperature forecasts,” Estanguet, a three-time Olympic Champion and President of the Paris 2024 Organising Committee, said without giving further details.

The WMO said new records could fall. The previous European high was 48.8 Celsius reached in Sicily in August 2021. France hit an all-time high of 46 Celsius in 2019 and recorded its hottest July on record last summer, when wildfires raged as drought parched the country.

France has escaped the worst of the sizzling temperatures so far this summer. The 2024 Games will mostly be held in and around Paris, though some events will take place further from the capital, including football at some southern venues and sailing in the Mediterranean waters off Marseille.

A contingency plan was in place to adjust schedules but there were no plans to change any locations, a spokesperson for Paris 2024 said.

“I can’t imagine a scenario where sailing wouldn’t take place in Marseille,” the spokesperson said.

A sailing test took place during the heat last week without issue, he added.

Prolonged exposure to heat can lead to heat exhaustion or heatstroke, which can be fatal.

Published in Dawn, July 19th, 2023