Tokyo Olympics exploring time change to deal with extreme heat, climate change
Following one the deadliest heat waves in decades in Japan this past summer, concern is rising for the upcoming 2020 Summer Olympics set to take place in Tokyo.
During the heat wave the temperature reached 106 F (41.1 C) near Tokyo, setting a new all-time high temperature for the country.
People wait at a crossing in a street during a scorching afternoon heat in Tokyo, Friday, July 12, 2013. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)
A time change has been proposed with Japan introducing daylight savings time for the games to shift outdoor events into cooler times of the day, so that they would still start at the same time as previous Olympic games, according Reuters.
Tokyo 2020 President Yoshiro Mori requested the change to daylight savings; however, a panel of the governing Liberal Democratic Party have abandoned these plans.
Another possibility is to move the start time of the event earlier, but this would need to be approved by the International Olympic Committee.
This may not be an easy change as historically the events are set to occur at the same time of the day each Olympics.
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