This World Cup is going to be hot and at times stormy, with a sizeable chunk of its 104 games set to be played above 90F (32C).Spread across the United States, Canada and Mexico, it is likely to be the warmest edition since the previous time the tournament was held in North America, when the U.S. hosted it solo in 1994.While extreme heat and humidity will affect how matches are played, thunderstorms could provide the greater logistical challenge.Under the thunderstorm protocol in place in the States, a match must be suspended if lightning or electrical discharge is detected within an eight-mile radius of the stadium involved.Once that happens, a 30-minute countdown begins, but resets if another strike is detected before it ends.On Tuesday night, the round-of-32 tie between Mexico and Ecuador in Mexico City became the latest World Cup game to be delayed by storms, with kick-off taking place an hour later than scheduled. France’s match against Iraq on June 22 was the first to be affected — the delay there, which came at half-time, was more than two hours.
To help understand which games will be most affected, The Athletic is working with Aaron Mentkowski, chief meteorologist at WKBW-TV Buffalo, to provide a daily forecast. Aaron will join live coverage to explain what’s happening during storm delays.England vs DR CongoMercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia. Kick-off: 12pm local time (EDT), 5pm BSTAn indoor match, so no issues out on the pitch. A heat advisory is in effect from 12pm to 8pm in Atlanta today. It will be sunny and hot in areas surrounding the stadium. At 12pm, the match will start with an outside temperature of 91F (33C). Temperatures will rise to 93F (34C) after the game, with a 30 per cent chance of thunderstorms. Winds will be out of the east at 5mph.Belgium vs SenegalLumen Field, Seattle, Washington. Kick-off: 1pm local time (PDT), 4pm EDT, 9pm BSTPartly sunny and comfortable. At kick-off, the temperature will be 67F (19C), with winds out of the southwest at 5-10mph. Temperatures will hold steady near 67F (19C) during the match.United States vs Bosnia and HerzegovinaLevi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, California. Kick-off: 5pm local time (PDT), 8pm EDT, 1am (Thursday) BST Mostly sunny skies. The game will start with sunny skies and a temperature of 76F (24C). By the end of the match, the latter will be 72F (22C). Winds will be northwesterly at 5-10mph.
