‘Drink lots of water, not just beer.’ Tartan Army melts in Miami heat

Climate Change admin June 22, 2026 0 Comments

‘Drink lots of water, not just beer.’ Tartan Army melts in Miami heat

Only a tourist would come up with the idea for Scotland’s Tartan Army to march across the streets of Miami in the middle of June.

Hundreds of fans withstood over 90-degree heat on Monday as they continued what seems to be a multi-day World Cup bender ahead of a much anticipated match on Wednesday.

Alan Wilson, 54, and his son Connor, 18, Orlando residents from Scotland that came to Miami for the party, said they worried about the Scots visiting Miami for the first time who are not used to the heat. Scotland’s summers average between a crisp 59 to 68 degrees.

“Scots don’t know the heat,” he said.

He offered a bit of advice to his countrymen: “Drink lots of water, not just beer.”

The game, which will be played in an open stadium with no AC, is expected to be especially hot this week. When Scotland plays against Brazil on Wednesday, temperatures are expected to be above 100 degrees heat index.

The National Weather Service issues heat warnings when the heat index – a measure that combines temperature and humidity – is expected to reach at least 105 degrees for two hours or more. Meteorologists use the heat index because 90 degrees on a dry day feels a lot different and has different health risks than 90 degrees with a dense wall of humidity.

For one, humidity slows down the evaporation of sweat, which is how we cool off.

Back-to-back heat warnings

The first World Cup match in Miami kicked off a week of heat warnings across the county. From June 15 until the 21, there were back-to-back heat warnings in Miami-Dade. More could be on the way.

“I don’t have a crystal ball – we only forecast seven days in advance – but it looks like we could be flirting with heat advisory criteria for the rest of the week in Miami-Dade County,” said Sammy Hadi, a meteorologist with the local National Weather Service office.

By comparison, by this time last year, no heat warnings had been issued. There were 11 warnings throughout the entire summer — a record that could be surpassed soon. July and August are historically the hottest months in South Florida.

When a heat warning is issued, even a Floridian who is “used to” the hot and humid summers is at risk of heat sickness. Out-of-towners who are suddenly exposed to higher temperatures than they may be used to are at greater risk of sickness.

Maya McCoy, a resident doctor who rotates between Jackson Health and the University of Miami, said the body’s response to regulating temperature, which includes how you sweat and even how the blood flows, takes about a week to adjust.

“If you’re not adjusted to that at all, you’re definitely at higher risk for heat-related illness, including heat exhaustion, heat cramps, and then at its worst, heat stroke,” McCoy said.

Even lifelong Floridians should be careful, McCoy said, because it does not make you immune to the problems.

Tartan Army member Warren Heath, 56, said the temperature has been one of the hardest things to adjust to. While he thought he’d be fine withstanding the heat, it’s been harder than he expected.

This June is comparable to the scorching, record-breaking hot summer in 2023. There were 43 heat warnings issued that year, and six were by the end of June.

No relief

Part of the reason for the excessive heat, Hadi with NWS said, is fewer rain showers during the wet season. When storms have come through this month, they usually tend to be later in the afternoon to evening hours after the sun has already beaten down from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. with nothing but a light sliver of a cloud to provide shade.

The National Weather Service forecasts temperatures up to 106 degrees heat index for the games this weekend.

To plan for how hot it may be, the National Weather Service created a “HeatRisk” tool that forecasts into the future. To no surprise, the risk is in the moderate to extreme range for the next week. Moderate will affect more vulnerable populations, major is dangerous without cooling measures, and extreme is rare temperatures that can quickly get deadly.

Climate change is making the heat more dangerous, breaking new records every year. Even with fewer hot days in 2025, it was still a warmer-than-normal year, with Miami recording a top-10 warmest year on record for the 7th consecutive year, according to the NWS.

Barbara Wach, 65, who has lived in Miami since her early 20s, said she noticed how fans were already turning pink from sunburn.

“Stay in the shade as much as possible,” Wach warned. “Scots are drinkers, traditionally, but they definitely need to stay safe.”

Ashley Miznazi is a climate change reporter for the Miami Herald funded by the Lynn and Louis Wolfson II Family Foundation and MSC Cruises in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners.