Spring is here, but a strong ridge of high pressure makes it feels like summer. Major events people look forward to, like the 2026 Major League Baseball season and the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival are slated to take place during this heat.
Reported by NBC News, the National Weather Service showed that the “anomalously early” heat wave is caused by global warming. This led to a historic March heat wave that has already smashed monthly records in many cities.
Recording breaking heatwaves happened last year as well, with the attendees at last year’s Coachella experiencing a dangerous heatwave during its first weekend. According to FOX Weather, last year’s performances that included Lady Gaga and Missy Elliott, were held in sweltering triple-digit heat.
The Desert Sun reported nearly twice as many patients at the JFK Memorial Hospital in Indio during the first weekend of Coachella in 2025 as to the year before, setting high numbers at 79 walk-ins and 21 ambulance visits to the hospital. There was also a patient who was recorded with a temperature of 107 degrees when she was brought to the emergency department, needing to be moved to the Desert Regional Medical Center for better treatment.
This year’s Coachella could receive another record breaking heat wave as well, with the National Weather Service reporting that California has set a new record for its hottest day ever in March. Two communities in the Coachella Valley, Thermal and Indio, reached 108 degrees on March 19. The previous hottest day in March was 107 degrees in 2004 at Mecca, another valley community in Riverside County, California.
The unexpected heat wave in California has also tied the record for warmest recorded temperature in March in United States history, while also expecting to peak on March 20 and 21. This historic heat wave shattered 550 daily high temperature records and more are expected to fall.
Unfortunately, these unexpected heatwaves have also had an effect on sporting events like this year’s spring training for Major League Baseball. Reported by AP News, triple-digit temperatures have impacted spring training games in Arizona for several days this week.
Ten games in Phoenix were rescheduled after temperatures in excess of 100 degrees were forecast for the final weekend of spring training.
It was reported that even throughout the 2025 Major League Baseball season, the unanticipated heat was enough to have players, staff and attendees suffering from heat related illness during games.
According to ESPN, a Wrigley Field staffer had a heat-related medical issue right after one of their games. They were then tended to by medical personnel on standby and assisted off the field.
Additionally, Wrigley Field had cooling and misting stations throughout the field to help fans try to endure the heat. As a precaution they also had additional emergency personnel.
Adam Ortega, an 18-year-old business major, said he has attended a few games through the 2025 Major League Baseball season during heat waves and explained the feeling of being exposed to the heat for two and a half hours.
“For how hot it was, it was around 94 degrees. Bring sunscreen and don’t dress like it’s winter because you’re just sitting down. When you have the sun beating on you, it’s like going to the beach without sunscreen. It just beats down on you,” Ortega said.
Staff from the JFK Memorial Hospital reported to NBC Palm Springs that the most common medical emergencies during these large-scale outdoor events are dehydration, heat exhaustion, overdoses and potential poisoning.
The hospital leaders remind visitors and local residents to stay hydrated, use sunscreen, be mindful of their health during festival weekend and to not hesitate to seek care. They’ve ensured they are provided by extra resources and they’re fully staffed to treat patients, local residents and visitors.
“Festival season does not impact our services to the community. We are fully staffed and ready to treat all patients, locals and visitors alike,” hospital staff said.
Safety tips on how to be safe and precautious during extreme heat conditions are provided by organizations such as VA News and Information and Ready. Future weather conditions can also be looked at by accurate weather forecaster websites such as the Weather Channel, National Weather Service and Weather Planner.
The most common advice is to drink water as hydration is extremely important. Staying indoors with an air conditioner is beneficial, but it’s suggested to find a cooling center if air conditioning is not available. For outdoor safety, it’s recommended to limit activities during the hottest time of day and dress appropriately for the weather. Improper dressing by wearing excessive clothing during a heat wave can lead to a significant loss in electrolyte. Losing body fluids will lead to dehydration, fatigue, heat exhaustion and more consequences according to the Medical University of South Carolina.
Reports from the World Weather Attribution said the United States broke the all-time heat record for March due to human-caused climate change. The National Centers for Environmental Information reports that 2025 was ranked the third warmest year for global temperatures behind 2023 and 2024.
Temperatures continue to break high-time records and it could potentially continue to do so as climate change continues to affect the planet at an alarming rate. Furthermore, heat advisories from the National Weather Service should always be taken seriously, due to extreme heat being the number one weather-related killer in the United States.
