Why are there so many thunderstorms in the U.S. and Mexico? The reason lightning stops matches at the World Cup

The match between Spain and Uruguay takes place this Friday at 18:00 in Guadalajara, Mexico. At that time, weather forecasts indicate a possibility of thunderstorms. If lightning is detected, the World Cup storm protocol could be activated. This is the same protocol used in the United States and Mexico, and one that FIFA follows during its competitions. It was already enforced ahead of Iraq versus France in Philadelphia, where play was suspended for 30 minutes because of similar weather conditions.

Why are matches suspended?

The reason is simple: lightning poses an immediate, life-threatening risk. In the United States, a strict safety protocol based on recommendations from the National Weather Service (NWS) and sports authorities is followed. If lightning is detected within 8 miles of the stadium, the match is automatically suspended, the pitch and stands are evacuated, and play cannot resume until there has been no lightning or thunder for 30 consecutive minutes. The same protocol is also applied at sporting events in Mexico, including Liga MX matches.

If lightning is detected again during that waiting period, the 30-minute countdown restarts. The rules are so strict because stadiums contain metal structures, cables and other conductive materials, while thousands of spectators are exposed outdoors. Data also show that most lightning-related fatalities occur during outdoor activities, as highlighted by Meteored. For that reason, the protocol is enforced even if it is only lightly raining or the sky appears clear.

Geographic and scientific explanation

The United States, Mexico and Canada are among the countries that experience the highest number of thunderstorms in the world. This is no coincidence. Their geography and climate create the ideal conditions for frequent storms, many of which can be particularly dangerous.

Meteorologists attribute this mainly to the constant collision of contrasting air masses over North America. Warm, moisture-laden air flows north from the Gulf of Mexico, while cold, dry air moves south from Canada. Atmospheric circulation patterns further intensify these interactions.

When these air masses collide, the warm air rises rapidly, cools and forms towering cumulonimbus clouds, which generate thunderstorms. This process is especially common across the central and eastern United States, helping to explain the region’s exceptionally high storm activity.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), thunderstorms require three essential ingredients: heat, moisture and unstable rising air. Across much of the United States, particularly in the Southeast, these conditions exist for much of the year. Florida, for example, experiences more than 80 to 100 thunderstorm days annually. Overall, the United States records millions of thunderstorms every year.

Experts also point to the geography of both the United States and Mexico. Bordered by the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, supplied with constant moisture from the Gulf of Mexico, and shaped by major mountain ranges such as the Rockies, the region allows contrasting air masses to collide with few natural barriers. Meteorologists often describe it as an “atmospheric battlefield”.

Why are thunderstorms so dangerous?

The greatest danger comes from lightning. According to the State Meteorological Agency (AEMET), around 25 million lightning strikes occur in the United States each year. Approximately 300 people are struck annually, and between 20 and 30 die.

Lightning can strike even when it is not raining directly overhead, reaching locations up to 10 miles from the parent storm. That is why NOAA summarises the risk with a simple message: “If you can hear thunder, you are in danger.”

According to NASA, a lightning bolt can reach temperatures of up to 30,000°C, making it hotter than the surface of the Sun. It can cause cardiac arrest, neurological damage and fires. Government agencies also warn that electrical current can travel through the ground, water, pipes and metal structures, extending the danger well beyond the point of impact.

When was the storm protocol first introduced at sporting events?

The protocol was not introduced by any single U.S. administration. Instead, it evolved over several decades as part of meteorological safety standards developed through recommendations from the National Weather Service (NWS), public health agencies such as the CDC, and sporting organisations. These standards have since been adopted by states, cities, universities, sports leagues and organisers of outdoor events.

As a result, there is no single date marking the introduction of the rule in its current form. Rather, the protocol has been progressively refined over time. During the 1990s, U.S. college sports began implementing formal procedures for thunderstorms, and in 1997 the NCAA published its first lightning safety guidelines.

Those recommendations eventually evolved into today’s standard protocol: play cannot resume until 30 minutes have passed since the last lightning strike or clap of thunder, a rule now widely accepted by meteorological authorities and sporting organisations alike.

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