The World Cup final between New Jersey and New York hangs under a cloud of uncertainty as thick smoke from wildfires billowing from Canada has triggered air quality warnings across the United States.
Southerly winds also hit the capital Washington, D.C., hard on Friday, ranking it the second-highest level of “very unhealthy” on an index in which authorities urge everyone to avoid unnecessary outdoor activities.
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In New York and neighboring New Jersey, where the final will be played at an open stadium on Sunday, the air in the metropolitan areas was unhealthy for sensitive populations, but it had improved after Thursday’s smog, with the Manhattan skyline barely visible.
Detroit and Chicago had air quality index readings in the “dangerous” range, and tracking firm IQAir said they were the most polluted cities in the world.
National Weather Service forecasters warned that smoke could thicken overnight into Saturday morning.
Approximately 80,000 fans are expected to attend the final, which will be held at a large outdoor stadium in the Meadowlands, home of the NFL’s New York Giants and Jets.
What’s the latest news from FIFA?
FIFA confirmed on Friday that the negative air quality caused by the bushfires is not currently a threat to the World Cup final.
Earlier in the day, tournament organizers said they were “closely monitoring the situation.”
“There have been discussions about it, and we have National Weather Service personnel stationed at FIFA headquarters, so we are monitoring it closely,” Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House’s World Cup Task Force, told a briefing.
President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet with FIFA President Gianni Infantino later on Friday.
What do the experts say about smoke?
NWS meteorologist Peter Mullinax told AFP that winds over the Great Lakes could push more smoke into the northeastern United States, leaving skies hazy.
However, he said the forecast for the region shows some improvement.
“I don’t think this should have the same impact as if we were playing the game today,” Mullinax said.
Joel Driessen, Maryland’s air quality forecaster, said the final question is whether more smoke will spill south after the weekend’s storms.
“Some models are starting to suggest we’ll start letting the smoke down,” he said.
Were there any other games affected by the weather?
Yes, but not because of wildfire smoke.
The first round of the knock-off between Mexico and England was rumored to have been rescheduled due to bad weather until organizers calmed down the dust and confirmed the kick-off would go ahead as planned.
Earlier, Mexico’s Round of 32 match against Ecuador was postponed by an hour due to inclement weather.
Concerns about July’s heatwave have prompted forecasters to warn of potential heat safety issues at some World Cup finals. A powerful “heat dome” is expected to occur across much of the United States and Canada, with furnace-like conditions and temperatures exceeding 43 degrees Celsius (110 degrees Fahrenheit) in some host cities.
Are Canada’s wildfires linked to climate change?
In cities across the Midwest and Northeast, people wore masks outdoors to block out dangerous air. In New York, it was distributed for free at libraries and train stations.
The upper Midwest near the fires was particularly hard hit, with parts of Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin all recording air quality readings deep into the “dangerous” range for several days.
The NWS extended the air quality warning for Chicago through Friday, adding that “wildfire smoke may return tomorrow evening and continue into Sunday.”
Advocates have emphasized the connection between recurring wildfire smoke and climate change.
“Increasingly smoky skies highlight the importance of rapidly transitioning to clean energy rather than building fossil fuel infrastructure that pollutes the environment even more and accelerates climate change,” said Paul Mathewson, scientific program director for Clean Wisconsin, which is among the states that have seen a sharp increase in smoky days in recent years.
Mark Purrington, a scientist with the Copernicus Atmospheric Monitoring Service, told AFP that climate change is creating conditions for longer fire seasons, including warmer surface temperatures and lower soil moisture.
“When ignition occurs, we see very large and sustained burns that can continue to burn for weeks at a time during the summer,” he said.
Have the wildfires in Canada been extinguished?
Fires worsened in Canada on Friday, with more than 200 fires out of control, particularly in Ontario, local authorities said.
This is far behind the pace of 2023, the worst wildfire season in Canadian history, when about 18 million hectares (44 million acres) of the country burned.
But it has rapidly expanded in the past week, with about 2.8 million hectares (7 million acres) burned since the start of the year, according to the latest government figures. As of last Friday, its area had reached about 1.6 million hectares (4 million acres).
There were no casualties in the Ontario fires, and some remote communities have been evacuated.
