By Małgorzata Wojtunik and Manuel Ausloos
DALLAS, June 29 (Reuters) - Unsuspecting fans arriving in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area for the World Cup face a hidden health hazard on their walk to the futuristic home of the Dallas Cowboys in a concrete city built more for cars than pedestrians.
While weather apps tell visitors the temperature is a manageable 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius), the pavement under their feet will likely be closer to a blistering 122 F (50 C).
That gap between the forecast
and the furnace is the danger lurking on the walk to the stadium as fans trek from distant parking lots, train stations and sun-baked plazas.
Every step across asphalt, past metal security gates and through unshaded fan zones means crossing an invisible "heat trap" the weather apps don't warn about.
"Concrete can actually absorb some of that heat, especially if you come across blacktop or that kind of colored surface that you're walking on," said Jennifer Dunn, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
"That will absorb and reflect that, and that can raise the temperature even more on those surfaces.
"So it's really important to pay attention to how you are feeling as you are walking across those surfaces, especially on some of these farther distances.
"If you need to stop and sit down and take a break, or if you need to find medical attention, don't hesitate to do that."
URBAN HEAT ISLAND
A study conducted on Dallas' urban heat island in August 2023 by CAPA Strategies, a team of analysts who assess climate action, showed temperatures can fluctuate by as much as 10 F (5.6 C) depending on environmental factors.
CAPA's study was done to monitor how different environmental conditions can influence urban heating. Often, the study found, the experience on the ground can swing widely between comfort and danger no matter the ambient temperature and humidity.
"It's hot," said Mathias Milane from Argentina. "When you walk, you don't feel anything, but here, if you just don't move, it's hot, really hot. A lot of buildings, a lot of cars, everything, concrete. Everything is concrete here."
Land for commercial use, which includes car parks and industrial areas, is more likely to concentrate heat throughout the day, while shaded residential streets reduce exposure to high temperatures.
Large, preserved natural areas also keep other districts cooler throughout the day, the CAPA study showed.
"There's a lot of concrete within Dallas," said Dunn. "So it can be difficult to find shelter areas within an urbanized area like this.
"So you do want to maybe look for those grassy areas or those AC buildings. Some of Dallas may feel a little bit hotter because of the amount of infrastructure and because of the amount of concrete in it.
"But that hot feeling is going to be uniform across the entire region here because we are highly urbanized."
SURVIVING THE HEAT
The hottest part of the day in northern Texas is between 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., during which fans will be travelling to or from Dallas Stadium.
Fans do at least have the comfort of knowing matches in Dallas are played indoors, sparing them from the worst of the heat as they watch their team.
"It's crazy," said Swedish fan Victor Blomdahl. "I'm not getting used to it. I'm just like enduring it, surviving, trying to find my ways."
Meteorologist Dunn advised fans attending Dallas matches to take precautions to counter the worst effects of the heat.
"If you can, wearing lightweight, light-colored, loose-fitting clothing, taking those breaks, and taking advantage of water, cooling towels, misters, or any of our heat mitigation accessories that might be out there. That's really going to be the best," she said.
Dunn also warned about underestimating the conditions.
"If you think you're feeling fine, you can easily get kind of run over with impacts from heat within a few minutes.
"So if you start to feel rundown, start to feel warm, start to feel sunburned even, it's time to find a place to take shelter and get out of that direct sun."
(Reporting by Malgorzata Wojtunik and Manuel Ausloos; Writing by Michael Church; Editing by Tom Hogue)
