Published on 6/30/2026
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Last update: 09:34 (Mecca time)
An intense heatwave will greet fans and players this week at the FIFA World Cup, as a massive ‘heat dome’ hovers over the central and eastern US, as well as parts of Canada, as the knockout stage matches continue.
This weather phenomenon known as a “heat dome” – a wide area of high atmospheric pressure that traps heat and moisture – could lead to dangerously high temperatures, with heat indexes expected to reach between 105 degrees Fahrenheit (40.5 degrees Celsius) and 115 degrees Fahrenheit (about 46 degrees Celsius) in parts of the Midwest and East Coast, according to the US National Weather Service.
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These conditions are expected to continue until the weekend of Independence Day, next July 4, in the United States, which is celebrating the 250th anniversary of its founding, as matches from Toronto to Kansas City to East Rutherford, New Jersey, and Philadelphia will witness a wave of heat.
“Even after sunset, it will still be very hot,” said AccuWeather chief meteorologist Alain Ripert.
He added: “We are in a weather pattern that will witness intense heat during most of the afternoon and until the evening hours.”
Ripert expects New York, which will receive fans for a Round of 16 match in neighboring New Jersey on July 5, to witness a rise in temperatures to their highest levels since 2013.
He added that even matches held in the evening may be affected. “The sun will have set,” he said. “This will help improve conditions, but it will still be hot.”
