Thread by @Reuters

With the 2020 Summer Olympics kicking off on July 23, athletes will have to face more than just their competitions: Tokyo's summer heat. #Tokyo2020 may be one of the hottest summer Olympics ever recorded reut.rs/2TKPqD1 1/6

🥵 Heat-related illnesses are responsible for thousands of emergency callouts each summer in Tokyo, with hundreds requiring hospitalization. The time during which the Games will be held is the peak of summer and historically a very hot period 2/6

Tokyo is often very humid in summer, which can make the air feel hotter and raises the risk of illness. The heat index scale below shows how hot it feels to the body in shady conditions based on humidity and air temperature 👇 3/6

📈 Comparing last year with 2008, the earliest year for which data is available, shows that thousands more people suffered from heat illness in Tokyo 4/6

Heat is such a concern for the athletes and spectators that the International Olympic Committee moved the marathon and race walk events to the cooler northern city of Sapporo. With added fears surrounding COVID-19, Japan is preparing to host a Games like no other in history 5/6

🏥 Doctors also warn that the Games’ need for medical staff could pressure a healthcare system already stressed by caring for coronavirus patients reut.rs/2TKPqD1 6/6