KSHB 41 reporter Grant Stephens covers downtown Kansas City, Missouri. He also focuses on stories of consumer interest. Share your story idea with Grant.
—
Kansas City Stadium ranks as the hottest open-air World Cup venue in the United States, according to new research.
The Action Network ranked all 16 World Cup venues by heat risk, pulling 10 years of climate data, measuring urban heat patterns, calculating solar angles and factoring in stadium design. Kansas City scored 82.8 out of 100 - second overall behind Mexico, but first among U.S. hosts.
KC summers are hot, and urban heat island effects caused by miles of asphalt and concrete around the stadium mean fans feel it.
With no roof in KC, fans and players get full solar exposure from a steep June sun angle, driving up risk for heat exhaustion.
Kathy Morris of the Action Network said the humidity is a key factor for visitors unfamiliar with Midwest summers.
"Come equipped for, like, a Midwest summer, and that humidity is brutal, especially if you're not used to dealing with it, and it can be deceptive. Luckily, a lot of the games take place later in the day, so hopefully that will help fans escape some of the brunt," Morris said.
While most matches will be played at night, officials warn the extreme heat can threaten athletes, fans, workers and officials. Most afternoon games will still be manageable for acclimated teams, but visitors from cooler climates and fans unused to Midwest humidity may feel it.
This story was reported on- air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
—
