With less than 24 hours to go until the World Cup final, an unexpected element has captured the attention of organizers, fans and players.
Residual smoke from wildfires in Canada earlier this week has engulfed the northeastern United States, raising questions about its impact on Sunday’s final between Spain and Argentina in New Jersey.
Visible fog blanketed the twin World Cup hosts of New York and New Jersey on Saturday as severe weather caused chaos.
At one point on Friday, New York was rated the city with the worst air quality in the world.
The World Cup final between the European champions and current title holders will begin on Sunday at 3pm local time (7pm GMT) in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Here’s what we know about smoke, weather, and the World Cup final.
Will there be fog in New York and New Jersey before the World Cup finals?
Smoke from the Canadian wildfires is drifting across the region, reducing visibility and affecting air quality in most states in the northeastern United States.
Unhealthy air quality warnings continued Saturday across large swathes of the U.S. East Coast.
But experts expect the situation to improve ahead of tomorrow’s big showdown in New Jersey.
Air Quality Index forecasts show air quality improving from unhealthy to “moderate” for sensitive groups in East Rutherford from Saturday to Sunday, meaning there will be little to no health risk to the general public on race day.
What’s the weather and forecast like in New Jersey before the Spain vs. Argentina final?
A thunderstorm moved through the area Saturday afternoon, causing heavy rain and severe thunder at New Jersey Stadium in New York, which was renamed MetLife Stadium.
State police urged people to shelter away from stadium seats and the field. As ponchos were handed out, volunteers and staff rushed inside to protect themselves. The sky was the same dark gray color it had been for the past few days.
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill warned residents of the potential for damage from winds, tornadoes, flash flooding and large hail.
FIFA said it continues to monitor the impact of bushfire smoke and stormwater conditions on conditions at stadiums for the final match and is in close contact with local authorities.
Have your preparations for Spain or Argentina been interrupted because of weather or smoke?
Spain’s final practice session for the final, held at the nearby Melanie Lane training ground, was canceled due to nearby storms and lightning.
The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) said this was in accordance with US storm safety protocols.
“The players are currently taking part in a warm-up session indoors,” the RFEF added.
FIFA said there is no separate time frame for teams to train.
Argentina held an outdoor training session at the scheduled time of 1:30pm (17:30 GMT), with players expressing no concerns about air quality or weather.
Will wildfire smoke affect the World Cup final?
Meteorologists say the fog will mostly clear in time for the finals, thanks to thunderstorms moving through New Jersey.
“This storm front will cause a significant shift of smoke from the northeast ahead of the final game between Spain and Argentina,” said Tyler Royse, senior meteorologist at AccuWeather, an online weather service.
“There may be some smoke left and that may be making things hazy, but it’s very faint,” Lloyds said. “In terms of the thickest smoke, it’s really eye-popping smoke and it’s going to lead to poor air quality, which is not expected in New York City or in many areas of the Northeast.”
Jeff Berardelli, WFLA-TV’s chief meteorologist and climate expert, echoed this forecast, saying the storm front would “clear the atmosphere,” leaving only a thin layer of smoke that World Cup spectators may still smell in the air.
“It’s no longer dangerous,” Berardelli said. “It’s going to get dramatically better.”
Temperatures at kickoff are expected to be around 27C (80F), light winds and low humidity.
Berardelli added: “We couldn’t have asked for better weather for the World Cup.”
Both experts expect thicker smoke Sunday to be concentrated near the fires and over parts of the Midwest and Great Lakes region.
Berardelli said climate change is making it burn longer and burn faster.
