The first week of the French Open has included major upsets and multiple on-court collapses linked to oppressive conditions. Temperatures have hovered in the low to mid-90s Fahrenheit due to a heat dome that traps warm air. Players have tried to cope by resting in shade and using ice on their heads and shoulders between matches. The wet bulb globe temperature is used to gauge heat impact on human health because it accounts for temperature, humidity, solar radiation, and wind. A wet bulb globe temperature around 86°F (30°C) marks the start of a danger zone, where sweat evaporates less efficiently, increasing risk for heat-related illness.
"Temperatures have hovered in the low- to mid-90s (or low-30s for Celsius aficionados), due to a "heat dome," a persistent area of high pressure that traps warm air and causes temperatures to rise. This is where the wet bulb globe temperature comes in. The metric "takes into account multiple aspects of the environmental conditions such as temperature, humidity, solar radiation, and wind," says Rachel Cottle, a postdoctoral research fellow at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas."
"A ball girl nearly fainted during a first round match on Monday while men's player Jakub Mensik keeled over on Roland Garros' red clay on Thursday after a five-set match, saying his body "just turned off." Players have spent time between games sitting in the shade and putting bags of ice on their heads and shoulders, all in an attempt to beat the oppressive heat."
"A wet bulb globe temperature of 86 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius) might not sound that bad, but it represents the start of the danger zone for human health. At that temperature, sweat doesn't evaporate as efficiently as it does at lower temperatures. Cottle has conducted research showing that even healthy young people start to experienc"
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