A World Cup Group I match, involving the teams of France and Iraq, had to be stopped this Monday (22). The decision was made because of unfavorable weather conditions in the city of Philadelphia, in the United States.
Safety regulations determine the suspension or postponement of outdoor events whenever storms with electrical discharges are approaching.
Even with the rain present during much of the first half of the confrontation between France and Iraq, the official interruption occurred at half-time, motivated by the detection of lightning in the vicinity of the stadium.
At that moment, an audible warning was issued at the venue, instructing fans and professionals to leave the open areas and seek shelter in covered spaces. The minimum downtime established is 30 minutes.
Detailed Storm Safety Protocol Standards
The International Football Federation (FIFA) has integrated the storm protocol as a standard rule. This measure had already been applied in several games at the Club World Cup the previous year, also held in the United States, and is now used in all matches in the current competition.
This interruption is compulsory and supported by North American legislation in situations of meteorological risk. The decision focuses on lightning, and not just rain, as they represent a direct danger. The strictness of this standard reflects the high incidence of severe thunderstorms and the serious risk that lightning poses at outdoor events in the United States, where public safety is a top priority in any gathering.
The United States uses the Emergency Alert System (EAS), a national public reporting mechanism. It is activated by municipal authorities and city halls to disseminate crucial warnings, such as weather alerts. Radio and television stations, cable TV systems and internet providers participate in this network, retransmitting official alerts.
The information that feeds the EAS is provided by several US federal agencies, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), responsible for the national weather forecast service.
Alert levels and actions during approaching storms
There are three alert classifications activated depending on the proximity of a storm:
- Storms at a distance of up to 26 kilometers, with potential impact in 40 minutes: intensified monitoring and heightened state of attention.
- Thunderstorms at a distance of up to 13 kilometers, with potential impact within 20 minutes: the match is immediately suspended and procedures to evacuate the stadium begin.
- Storms at a distance of up to eight kilometers, with potential impact within 10 minutes: the stands are emptied, the lawn and areas at field level must be vacated, and people are directed to protected locations.
Criteria for resuming games
The return of games is subject to two stages of analysis:
- Fifteen minutes after the last electrical discharge, new meteorological assessments are carried out; caso a segurança seja confirmada, as equipes podem retornar ao campo para o aquecimento, e o público é liberado para ocupar as arquibancadas.
- Thirty minutes after the last detected lightning, the match is allowed to be restarted.
