Pennsylvania could be too hot to host future Olympic Games
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The U.S. is gearing up to host what policymakers are calling the "mega decade" of sporting events, but scorching temperatures are a big concern for the future.
The big picture: With the closing of the Paris Summer Olympics, Team USA brought the Olympic Games home with them. The 2028 Summer Olympics will be hosted in Los Angeles, but before that, the FIFA World Cup in several cities including Philly in 2026.
- Plus, the U.S. has slated the Men's Rugby World Cup in 2031, the Women's Rugby World Cup in 2033 and the Winter Games in Salt Lake City in 2034.
Threat level: Data shows that by 2050, most of the world will be too hot to host the Summer Olympics.
- In a huge sports town like Philly — which has bid to host the Olympics at least four times — these numbers have sobering implications for all future outdoor sports and recreation, per an Axios analysis of CarbonPlan data.
By the numbers: The data finds that in 2050, 60% of locations globally will experience Wet Bulb Globe Temperatures above 82°F, the American College of Sports Medicine's recommended threshold for canceling outdoor, continuous activity to avoid heat illness.
- CarbonPlan's models estimate that by 2050, 29% of weather stations in Pennsylvania will experience temperatures above the "cancel activity," compared to 0% of stations in 2020.
How it works: Wet Bulb Globe Temperature is a metric that takes into account air temperature, humidity, solar radiation, and wind to assess the risk of heat illness. It is widely used to determine safe temperatures for physical activity.
Zoom in: The Philadelphia metro's heat waves are becoming longer, more frequent and more intense, per new data from the EPA.
- The length of heat waves in the Philly region ticked up an average of two days from 1961-2023.
- We've averaged four more heat wave events per year during that period.
- Average spring and summer temperatures are up about 3 degrees since 1970, per Climate Central.
What's next: The International Olympic Committee is already planning to implement heat protocols for the Los Angeles Summer Olympics in 2028.
- Philly is also hosting six matches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2026 MLB All-Star Game.