According to experts, the heat and sudden thunderstorms are constant attributes of American summer, especially on the east coast. It is the meteorological conditions that lead to long pauses, which are already frankly bored, and some of them are completely delayed for several hours, which is particularly stirred to those fans who watch the KCS-2025 matches on TV. But the worst part is that the organizers are already aware-something similar can be repeated in 12 months, when the final stage of the 23rd World Cup among national teams should take place in the fields of the United States, Canada and Mexico.
In recent days, the weather has become an equally important factor in discussions in football fans who actively monitor the matches of the CCS-2025 than, for example, the tactical ideas of coaches, goal mistakes of football players or missing in arbitration. It is unlikely to be considered a joke (except inappropriate) that unplanned pauses were already in four matches of the tournament, although only 32 games were held. In other words, in every eighth match, viewers in the stands were forced to leave their places through the weather, and viewers – and at all in guesses, when the organizers would allow the game to recover again. At the same time, as meteorologists expected, the worst for the KCS-2025 is still ahead: in the near future, a climatic wave of heat is expected in the United States in most of the country, which will become even more relevant.
For the first time with the problem of suspension of matches at the CCS-2025, due to weather conditions, the organizers and audiences collided last Tuesday in Orlando, when the storm made the start of the fight between the South Korean “Ulsan Hunde” and South African Sandowan for more than an hour. The next day, the organizers had to suspend the match between the Mexican “Pachuka” and the Austrian “RB Salzburg” for one and a half hours. Further, due to the weather conditions, almost 40-minute pause took place in the game of Brazilian Palmeiras and the Egyptian Al-Ahley, and the most recent case was recorded a few days ago when the match between Portuguese Benfika and the New Zealand City. Minutes!
Getty Images/Global Images Ukraine Why do similar matches suspension occur at all? The whole thing about the so-called “Rule 30-30”, which is valid in the United States and applies not only to the sports competitions of professionals, but also applies to amateurs and even students. According to this rule, as soon as the organizers saw lightning and if it is after 30 seconds sounds the sound of thunder, they are obliged to suspend the match or workout for at least 30 minutes. At the same time, all participants and audiences of the sports event should be moved immediately to the shelter, but in no case under the trees. If there are new lightning and thunder, which follows it for 30 seconds, then the 30-minute “timer” of the reference on the pause is stopped. However, if the pause is tightened for more than 45 minutes, the game should be stopped at all.
To better understand this rule, we give two examples that its authors often refer to.
Example # 1. Lightning, together with thunder, was first recorded at 14:00 and lasted for a few minutes … The last lightning strike was spotted at 14:15. The match should be stopped, and it can be restored at 14:45.
Example # 2. Lightning with thunder was first recorded at 14:00. No more lightning is observed. You can restore the game in 30 minutes, ie at 14:30. But if you see the lightning again at any time, the match should be stopped immediately (after another 30 minutes of waiting, the total accumulated stopping time will exceed 45 minutes).
However, for the KCS-2025 matches in the “Rules 30-30” made a small indulgence-in particular, there is no limitation of waiting time for 45 minutes, and the decision on this issue remains under the judge and organizers of the tournament. Therefore, the choice is to wait up to 130 minutes in the Benfiki and Auckland City match only to postpone the match on another day, rather, a forced measure, since the tournament calendar is very tightly and does not provide dates for the transferred games.
In general, according to experts, what we are now seeing in the US in the aspect of the weather is absolutely normal. Moreover, the country is very strictly treated during a thunderstorm, as lightning according to statistics is one of the main “killers” of people in the period of worsening weather conditions.
“What we see is absolutely normal,” says Ben Shott, Chief Operations Director of the National Meteorological Service (NWS). “We can be in the same situation in 2026. Cincinnati to New York thunderstorms associated with cold fronts usually occur every three, five or seven days. We have already presented a detailed map of potential weather risks in FIFA in each city. ”
Getty Images/Global Images Ukraine Geography really plays a crucial role. For example, in Florida, sea breezes from the east and west converge in the center of the state, creating the ideal conditions for the formation of thunderstorms in the afternoon, just when most sports events take place, including football matches of the CCC-2025.
FIFA is already actively working with NWS experts to predict the conditions of conducting the matches of the 2026 World Cup. So far, of four matches of the KCS-2025 matches, only one happened at the stadium (Metlife Stadium), which will host matches of the FIFA World Cup next year. Arena in Orlando and Cincinnati were not selected for the matches of the final stage of the World Cup 2026, but in general it does not reduce the fears of the organizers about the fact that next year, viewers around the world will find themselves in the same unpleasant situation as it is now with the club championship of FIFA.
In order to ensure safety during the MSC-2026 Matches, the National Meteorological Service plans to place meteorologists in every city where the tournament matches will take place. Their work will be coordinating with local authorities and providing rapid communication in the event of an emergency. But the main task, according to Ben Shott, will be a clear and prompt information to inform fans from other countries that may not be familiar with the “30-30” rule and rapid weather changes in North America.
It is expected that no serious problems during the World Cup 2026 with the organization of safety of spectators and participants will not arise for the synchronized work of all services. However, viewers should still be prepared for the fact that some final final matches of the 23rd World Cup will have to look at whether unforeseen pauses or in the record. Such a “chip”, most likely, will be inherited from the World Cup 2026 from the CCC-2025 …
Source: Sport.ua