TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The increasing heat and humidity caused by climate change could disrupt outdoor sports activities, including the 2026 World Cup, which will be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Scientists warn that extreme heat is reaching levels that can reduce physical performance and endanger health more frequently.
Researchers predict that nearly half of the scheduled matches, especially in the southern regions of the U.S. and low-lying areas of Mexico, have at least a 50 percent chance of experiencing conditions categorized as "disruptive heat."
To anticipate this, several teams are undergoing intensive training in hot conditions and preparing various cooling facilities such as cold water immersion baths, ice vests, and misting fans during the tournament.
However, similar facilities are not easily accessible to community sports participants or recreational athletes. This condition is considered to affect the safety of public physical activities amid the increasing frequency and intensity of hot weather due to climate change.
"The majority of people who play sport for competition or just for fun, recreation and leisure have a fraction of that power [of professional sports organizers] but face greater challenges and harms," said Jessica Murfree, an assistant professor in the Exercise and Sports Science Department at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, quoted from the Live Science report on June 16, 2026.
In the world of sports, heat risk is typically measured using the wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) indicator. This indicator considers the combination of air temperature, humidity, exposure to direct sunlight, and wind speed. Humidity is an important factor because high levels of water vapor in the air make it more difficult for sweat to evaporate, which reduces the body's ability to cool down.
Several studies indicate that extreme humid heat events in most parts of the U.S. have more than doubled since 1980. By 2024, climate change is expected to add about three weeks of dangerous, humid heat conditions globally.
According to Murfree, a person's physical condition, hydration level, and socioeconomic factors influence the health risks of heat. Low-income communities are considered more vulnerable because they tend to live in hotter urban environments and have limited access to air conditioning.
When the body is unable to dissipate excess heat, a person may experience heat exhaustion, characterized by dizziness, nausea, headaches, and muscle cramps. If the condition continues, the core body temperature can rise, leading to heat stroke, which can be potentially fatal.
"We only have a limited amount of blood in our body, and we're simultaneously trying to use it to fuel the reactions in our muscles to be able to facilitate exercise, as well as send it to our skin to help us cool down," said Grant Lynch, a researcher at the Heat and Health Research Centre at the University of Sydney.
According to Lynch, the body can adapt to extreme heat through acclimatization. However, the benefits of this adaptation are not permanent and will decrease if a person returns to a cooler environment for a certain period of time.
To reduce the risk, experts recommend that people maintain hydration before, during, and after exercise, wear lightweight clothing, take regular breaks, and postpone activities when the heat risk is too high.
They also anticipate that heat waves will become more frequent as global average temperatures rise, requiring adjustments to sports schedules and infrastructure in the future.
Read: The Strongest El Nino in More than a Century May Be Coming
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