During the France–Iraq match in Philadelphia on June 22nd, officials suspended play for nearly two hours after thunderstorms entered the area and activated FIFA’s severe weather protocols. As reported by the Associated Press, the interruption marked the first official mid-match weather delay at the FIFA World Cup in decades. Recently, intense heat across North America also greatly affected many games being played in outdoor stadiums, with the current 2026 World Cup likely being the hottest tournament to date. It is also worth noting that four years ago, the 2022 World Cup was actually moved to the winter for the first time, due to extreme heat concerns. The impact of severe and extreme weather has contributed to a concerning trend that has emerged on soccer’s biggest stage.
Why this Matters
- Increasing Frequency: As temperatures rise, storms and extreme weather increase, resulting in consistent climate-related issues
- Climate Commitments: The occurrence of extreme weather and climate change calls for U.S. commitments and international cooperation, pushing corporations, multilateral organizations, and governments to collaborate on climate goals
- Disruptions: More weather and climate related disruptions will occur in the future, disrupting supply chains and major events throughout the U.S.
- Costs: Costs created by extreme weather events continue to rise annually, with over 27-billion-dollar weather events in the U.S. in 2024
Extreme Weather Alert
Across the world, scientists are observing an increase in the frequency and intensity of many forms of extreme weather. According to NASA Science, rising global temperatures are contributing to more frequent and severe heat waves, heavier precipitation events, longer droughts, and increasingly destructive wildfires. Likewise, the Royal Meteorological Society explains that while climate change does not directly create thunderstorms, it changes the atmospheric conditions in which they develop, making environments more favorable for intense rainfall and severe storms.
Climate Change & Thunderstorms in the United States
Thunderstorms are made up of three things: moisture, rising unstable air (that will keep rising if given a push), and that push. Many different aspects result in this push or lift, stemming anywhere from a breeze or a mountain. In turn, a new storm forms.
Warmer air, which occurs due to global warming, creates more moisture in the air. More moisture results in more thunderstorms. The Clausius-Clapeyron equation tells us that as global temperatures rise, the atmosphere can hold approximately 7% more water vapor (more moisture) for every 1°C increase in temperature.
As a severe storm is formed, it results in other detrimental weather conditions such as strong winds and dangerous hail. The UCAR Center for Science Education notes that this additional atmospheric moisture provides more fuel for heavy rainfall and dangerous storms whenever the necessary weather ingredients align. Trends in hourly rainfall indicate that the U.S. has experienced an increase between 13% to 40% of hourly rainfall intensity across the U.S. since 1970.
Similarly, research from the Great Lakes Integrated Sciences and Assessments (GLISA) program shows that many regions are already experiencing increases in extreme precipitation, raising the likelihood of flash flooding and other weather-related disruptions.
Heat Waves
Recent summers have demonstrated the global scope of these challenges. Europe has experienced repeated record-breaking heat waves, while some countries like India have endured prolonged periods of dangerous temperatures that have strained electrical grids and threatened public health. Based on new NASA data, The Guardian found that the intensity of many extreme weather events has risen dramatically over recent decades, reinforcing projections that such records are likely to become more common as global temperatures continue to increase.
The trend extends well beyond heat as the American Museum of Natural History notes growing evidence that intense storms are becoming more common in many regions, while Earthjustice emphasizes that warmer oceans and a warmer atmosphere are increasing the amount of energy and moisture available to many extreme weather systems.
Costs
Additionally, extreme weather is not just an environmental issue, as it has become a significant economic one. According to the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), the United States has experienced hundreds of billion-dollar weather and climate disasters since 1980, with the cumulative financial costs reaching into the trillions of dollars. Climate Central estimates that total U.S. weather and climate disasters since 1980 have exceeded $3.1 trillion in costs.
Similar economic pressures are emerging across the globe as flooding damages infrastructure, heat waves reduce labor productivity, droughts threaten agricultural crops and food supplies, and increasingly severe storms disrupt transportation and global supply chains.
source: Climate Central.
It’s clear that there is a vast amount of weather events each year, particularly within the last 10 years. In just 1 year, $182.7 billion was lost. The impact that this has on businesses and supply chains in the U.S. is significant and will only continue to increase. Companies that focus on limiting the impacts of climate change require corporations who are being impacted to work together towards a shared goal.
Take Action
Unlike many global challenges, climate change does not recognize national borders. Its impacts are shared across continents, impacting governments, businesses, communities, and individuals.
Addressing these risks will require sustained and continued cooperation between policymakers, researchers, private industries, and citizens to make measurable changes, while improving resilience to the changes already underway.
At Responsible Alpha, we believe that businesses have a critical role to play in that transition. Through cutting-edge research, sustainability strategy, and climate risk advisory services, Responsible Alpha partners with all organizations on their transition to a net positive economy by 2050.
A delayed soccer match may seem insignificant compared with the devastating floods, wildfires, and heat waves occurring around the world. However, the World Cup serves as a powerful reminder that climate change is not a distant environmental issue and it is an immediate challenge that impacts even the biggest events and traditions that bring the world together.
