Japan Olympic Organizers Misled Athletes, World On Tokyo Heat, Humidity

What were they thinking?  Olympics in hot, humid 
Tokyo is proving dangerous for athletes 

 The Olympics in Tokyo, Japan are wilting in the heat.  

That should have been expected, giveen the location of the event. But it's even hotter and more humid than many people anticipated.  

Olympic organizers in Japan might have sold the athletes and the world, a bill of goods when it comes to describing the summer weather. 

Japan's proposal for the Olympics included this gem:  "Meteorological conditions during the proposed Games-time would be reasonable."

"With many days of mild and sunny weather, this period provides an ideal climate for athletes to perform their best," the proposal also noted.

The reality is some athletes have already really suffered. Russian archer Svetlana Gomboeva passed out from heat stroke. A number of triathletes collapsed as they completed their race, says Fox News. 

Norway's Kristian Blummenfelt vomited and collapsed as he finished the triathlon, winning the Gold Medal

Daytime highs in Tokyo this week have been in the low to mid 90s with dew points in the mid-70s. That translates to a heat index of at least 100 degrees.  

Tennis star Novak Djokovic wilting in the high heat
and humidity of this year's Tokyo Olympics.

Tokyo is a vast urban heat island.  The concrete, asphalt and steel collect heat, making the city hotter than green space in the hinterlands.  Emissions for cars and zillions of air conditioners make it even hotter. 

Then at night, all that concrete and pavement retains the heat, so temperatures don't drop at night, like they tend to do where I live, in leafy rural Vermont.

It's worth noting that the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo were delayed until October to avoid the worst of the summer heat. 

The 2004 Olympics in Athens had similar temperatures, but the humidity was lower. Higher humidity is more dangerous because sweat doesn't evaporate off the body easily.  When sweat evaporates quickly, it has a cooling effect on the body. 

The heat in Tokyo is up there, but not unprecedented. Other parts of Japan, however, are suffering through record smashing heat. Last week on the northern island of Hokkaido, it reached 97 degrees in Asahikawa, the hottest day on record there.