Scotland’s Group C clash against Brazil is at risk of becoming the second World Cup match this week to be forced into a major delay.
Steve Clarke’s side take on Brazil at 11pm UK time knowing that a point will be enough to secure qualification for the round of 32 stage as one of eight third-placed teams.
They can also scrape through with a defeat, though that is dependent on the final outcome and how their goal difference compares to other third-placed teams.The first week of the World Cup ran smoothly in avoiding any weather issues, with June and July seen as peak ‘flash flooding season’ in the United States.But France’s Group I clash against Iraq on Monday was suspended for around two hours after the half-time whistle due to lightning strikes around the Philadelphia Stadium.
The match was resumed at around 1am UK time – having kicked off three hours earlier – with France eventual 4-0 winners.Significant amounts of rainfall also hit New Jersey during Norway’s 3-2 win over Senegal, but the match itself passed by without incident.
Now, Miami is forecast to be the scene of inclement weather on Wednesday – and that could wreak havoc on plans for Scotland’s clash against Brazil.
There is a moderate heat warning in place across the state of Florida, and according to Accuweather, there is the potential of a thunderstorm to hit the Miami region at 5pm local time with a 51 per cent chance of precipitation. Scotland versus Brazil kicks off at 6pm.What FIFA’s guidance says about World Cup weather delays
If you were keeping a close eye on developments during France’s match against Iraq on Monday evening, you will likely have heard about some of the safety logistics in place at the World Cup in the event of thunderstorms.The protocols are mandated by the US government’s weather service, and are therefore in use by FIFA across the duration of this summer’s World Cup.
When there is a lightning strike detected within an eight-mile radius of any outdoor activity, that outdoor activity must be immediately suspended for 30 minutes.
Supporters will be told to seek shelter, and people are advised to stay indoors until at least 30 minutes after the last lightning strike occurs.The reason for the size of the radius is because electrical charges can still linger in clouds even after a lightning strike has taken place, with the significant lightning threat stretching as far out as 10 miles.
FIFA have lightning safety plans in place in case of severe inclement weather, and three main criteria – if lightning is seen, if thunder is heard, or if skies look ‘threatening’ – are used to determine when to stop outdoor activities.Scotland have ‘strategy’ in case of Brazil delay
Scotland boss Steve Clarke says his squad are already prepared for the potential of weather delays.
“Looking at the forecast tomorrow, it’s possible that there will be some rain disruptions,” he told reporters in his pre-match press conference.
“We have a strategy in mind on how to deal with it. Obviously, you don’t know how long the delay is going to be. If there is to be a delay then hopefully it can be a short one.
“We have got a coping strategy and an idea what we would do if that happened to us.”
