Lightning stops play: how electrical storms could disrupt the World Cup
Under US rules, even a distant strike can suspend a game – and some will take place in Florida, the thunderstorm state Hot weather will
Under US rules, even a distant strike can suspend a game – and some will take place in Florida, the thunderstorm state Hot weather will be a major concern at the World Cup, but lightning may also prove a particular problem.
Under US safety regulations, a strike within 10 miles (16km) of a stadium triggers a 30-minute suspension of the game, during which players must leave the pitch. The size of the safety zone was dictated by research on the distance that lightning can strike from a storm even with no clouds overhead.
This is more than a theoretical risk. During a game in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1998, an entire team was killed by a single bolt of lightning. There have been many other deadly incidents.
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