Smoke drifting from Canadian wildfires is expected to have little impact on Sunday's FIFA World Cup final between Spain and Argentina, with forecasters predicting significantly improved air quality before kick-off.
A thick haze covered parts of New York and New Jersey on Saturday as smoke from ongoing wildfires in Canada spread across the northeastern United States, prompting air quality alerts and raising concerns ahead of football's biggest match.
At one stage on Friday, New York recorded the world's worst air quality, while thunderstorms and heavy rain disrupted activities around the New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford.
Meteorologists, however, said a passing storm system is expected to push the dense smoke away before Sunday's final.
"The storm front will largely move the smoke out of the northeast before the final between Spain and Argentina," said Tyler Roys, senior meteorologist at AccuWeather.
"There could be some lingering smoke that would make things hazy, but the thickest smoke and poor air quality are not expected across New York City or much of the northeast."
Jeff Berardelli, chief meteorologist and climate specialist at WFLA-TV, said the storm front would effectively "sweep the atmosphere clean."
"It won't be dangerous anymore. It's going to be dramatically better," he said.
Storms disrupt preparations
A thunderstorm swept through East Rutherford on Saturday afternoon, bringing heavy rain, lightning and strong winds.
Authorities temporarily asked people to leave the stadium seating areas and seek shelter as volunteers and staff moved indoors.
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill also warned residents about the possibility of damaging winds, flash flooding, tornadoes and large hail.
FIFA said it remained in close contact with local authorities and was closely monitoring both the weather and air quality ahead of the final.
Spain's training interrupted
Spain's final training session before the World Cup final was suspended because of lightning and severe weather.
The Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) said players completed their warm-up indoors in accordance with US storm safety protocols, adding that no alternative training slot was available.
Argentina, however, completed its scheduled outdoor training session without interruption, with players showing no visible concerns over the weather or air quality.
Ideal conditions expected for final
Forecasters expect temperatures of around 27°C (80°F) with light winds, lower humidity and moderate air quality at kick-off on Sunday.
Experts said any remaining smoke would be light enough to cause only a slight haze, posing little risk to spectators or players.
Meanwhile, heavier smoke is expected to remain concentrated closer to the Canadian wildfires, affecting parts of the US Midwest and Great Lakes region.
Scientists have linked the increasing intensity and duration of Canada's wildfire seasons to climate change, which has contributed to more frequent extreme fire conditions.
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