Thunderstorms Sweep Canadian Wildfire Smoke From New Jersey Before World Cup Final at 80F
Updated
Updated · PBS NewsHour · Jul 18
Thunderstorms Sweep Canadian Wildfire Smoke From New Jersey Before World Cup Final at 80F
3 articles · Updated · PBS NewsHour · Jul 18
Summary
East Rutherford is expected to see smoke conditions improve sharply before Sunday’s World Cup final, with forecasters saying Saturday’s thunderstorms should push the thickest Canadian wildfire haze out of the region.
Air quality is forecast to improve from “unhealthy for sensitive groups” on Saturday to “moderate” on Sunday, though experts said some faint haze or odor could linger and sensitive people should still check morning readings.
MetLife Stadium sat under a dense gray sky Saturday, and a drenching storm briefly forced Spain to halt its final outdoor training session ahead of the match against Argentina.
President Donald Trump, who plans to attend the final, blamed Canada for the cross-border smoke and threatened tariffs, drawing a rebuke from Ontario Premier Doug Ford as air warnings remained across a broad U.S. swath.
Hundreds of active fires are still burning across Canada, with officials reporting evacuations and unusually severe fire activity from Ontario to British Columbia after thousands of lightning strikes.