How thunderstorms and lightning could impact games at World Cup

How thunderstorms and lightning could impact games at World CupImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Supporters and players must leave the bowl of the stadium if lightning is detected within eight milesByDale JohnsonFootball issues correspondentPublished6 minutes agoComments"It's a joke - this is not football," Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca said after his side's Club World Cup last-16 tie against Benfica was delayed by extreme weather last summer.The game in Charlotte, North Carolina had kicked off at 16:00 local time, but was suspended in the 86th minute when lightning was detected in the area.Almost two hours passed before the storm had cleared. Players from both teams were spotted on exercise bikes or kicking balls around in the changing room, trying to keep active. Eventually the game resumed, with the final whistle blown at 20:38 local time - four hours and 38 minutes after it had begun. It was one of six games at the tournament halted by electrical storms. With the 2026 World Cup - co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico - taking place at the peak of thunderstorm season in several host cities, we are highly likely to see stoppages once again.What happens when there is an electrical storm?The delays at the Club World Cup made headlines, but football in the United States is very much used to stopping because of the weather.A number of matches on pre-season tours - including Manchester City v Barcelona in Orlando two years ago - have faced lengthy delays. Fifa has no power to make its own rules, it must adhere to the advice of local authorities. In the United States, recommendations of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are used.The NOAA says that if any lightning strike is detected within eight miles of a stadium the game has to be stopped. How would that work out distance-wise in the UK?If you are in Manchester at Old Trafford or the Etihad, you can just about get away with lightning in Rochdale.A game could...