世界杯故事：天气太热，成了大家共同的对手

Today let's talk about a topic related to the World Cup.

But this topic isn't about a team, nor a star player.

What we're talking about today is the weather — the "heat."

This World Cup is being played in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The timing of the matches falls right in the summer.

In summer, many places in North America are extremely hot.

So "heat" has become a big problem at this World Cup.

Scientists say that at this World Cup, roughly one in every four matches is played in very hot weather.

Weather this hot isn't very safe for either the players or the fans.

This World Cup has sixteen cities hosting matches in all.

Among these cities, nine are especially hot.

Scientists say the high temperatures in these nine cities are very dangerous for the human body.

For example, Miami, Dallas and Houston — these places are brutally hot in summer.

There's also Atlanta and Kansas City, which are very hot cities too.

In some cities, the daytime temperature exceeds 35 degrees.

Playing 90 minutes under a sun like that really isn't easy.

We normally sweat even sitting still.

The players have to keep running and keep battling, so they sweat even more.

When it's too hot, people get tired easily and fall ill easily.

So the organizers of the matches thought of many measures.

The first measure is to stop in the middle of the match to let the players drink water.

In the past, there was only this kind of "water break" when the weather was especially hot.

But this World Cup is different.

No matter whether it's hot or not, each half stops once to let everyone drink water and rest.

These few minutes aren't long, but they're very important for the players.

Drinking a little water and wiping off some sweat lets them recover some energy.

Some experts also say a few minutes may not be enough, and it should be longer.

Others say the half-time break could be made longer too.

Everyone is thinking of ways to let the players suffer a little less from the heat.

The second measure is to schedule some matches at night.

At night the sun has set, and the weather is much cooler.

Playing in cooler conditions, the players are much more comfortable.

Also, some stadiums have a roof on top and air conditioning inside.

Playing in a stadium like this, the heat basically isn't a worry.

Still, there are many matches that have to be played under a blazing sun.

Why not just put all the matches at night?

It's because fans around the world watch at different times.

Some matches are scheduled during the day so people in other countries can watch too.

But this means the players have to play at the hottest time.

So many players and experts have objections.

They hope that in the future, match times can be arranged better.

They also hope to give players more time to drink water and rest.

Actually, it's not only the players who are affected.

Fans who come to watch in person also have to sit in very hot stands.

Some stands have no roof, with the sun beating straight down — extremely hot.

They can easily get heatstroke too, so they also need to drink more water and be careful.

The stadiums also prepare lots of water and areas where people can cool off in the shade.

At this point, you may notice something.

At this World Cup, a team's opponent isn't only another team.

The hot weather has also become an "opponent" everyone shares.

Whoever can keep good form in heat like this has more of an advantage.

So when we watch the matches, we can also think a bit more.

Those players running their hearts out under a blazing sun really are remarkable.

They have to not only beat their opponent, but first overcome the hot weather.

Of course, the most important thing is still everyone's safety.

Whether players or fans, health matters more than the match.

I hope at this World Cup, everyone can be happy and safe.

And I hope that in the future, when organizing tournaments, people will think about the weather earlier.

After all, keeping both players and fans safe is what matters most.

Alright, that's it for the topic of the World Cup and hot weather.

When the weather is hot, remember to drink more water too.

Thank you for listening — see you next time.