Portugal and DR Congo should play a match between them in the first round of Group K at the World Cup on Wednesday at 19:00 Central European time, i.e. at 12:00 local time. However, the day before the game, which should be played at NRG Stadium in Houston, there were questions that could jeopardize the playing of the match.
The first tropical storm of the season, namely, should hit the city this very Wednesday, on the day of the match. At the same time, a potential Tropical Cyclone One formed off the coast of Texas, and the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) issued a warning for heavy rains and dangerous flash floods. According to the American media, this disturbance, which is currently located about 105 kilometers southwest of the city of Corpus Christi with winds up to 45 km/h, could become the first named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season in 2026 and, if it strengthens further, get the name Arthur, they report. Sports news
According to the NHC forecast, the storm system could move parallel to the Texas coast during Wednesday before moving inland: “The disturbance is expected to move off the Texas coast tonight or early Wednesday, move roughly parallel to the upper Texas coast later Wednesday and move back inland over far eastern Texas or southwestern Louisiana late Wednesday or early Thursday,” it said.
Due to all of the above, it is certain that tomorrow’s match could be postponed for a few hours. According to the protocol in place, the game must be stopped if lightning is detected within an eight-mile radius of the stadium. After that, the clock is “reset” and in case of a new recorded lightning, it is postponed for another half hour.
Whether or not it becomes a hurricane, the storm system brings the risk of extreme precipitation. Between 10 and 20 centimeters of rain is expected, and locally up to 30 centimeters, which creates a serious risk of flooding. One of the areas where the risk is estimated at 3 out of 4 is precisely Houston.
Due to all of the above, it is certain that tomorrow’s match could be postponed for a few hours. According to the protocol in place, the game must be stopped if lightning is detected within an eight-mile radius of the stadium. After that, the clock is “reset” and in case of a new recorded lightning, it is postponed for another half hour.
