With less than 24 hours to go before the World Cup final, an unexpected factor is drawing the attention of organizers, fans, and players: smoke from Canadian wildfires that has engulfed the northeastern United States.

On Saturday, a visible haze hung over the twin host states of New York and New Jersey, reducing visibility and worsening air quality. On Friday, New York was ranked as the city with the worst air quality in the world.

The final between Spain and Argentina kicks off at 3 p.m. local time (19:00 GMT) on Sunday in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Experts predict conditions will improve by game time.

A thunderstorm passed through the area on Saturday afternoon, causing heavy rain and lightning. State police urged people to leave the stadium seating bowl and field and take shelter. New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill warned of potential damaging winds, tornadoes, flash flooding, and large hailstones.

FIFA said it is in close contact with local authorities and continues to monitor the impacts of wildfire smoke and storms on stadium conditions. Spain's last training session was suspended due to storms and lightning.

Meteorologists say the storm front will largely clear the smoke before the final. "It won't be dangerous anymore," said Jeff Berardelli, chief meteorologist at WFLA-TV. Temperatures are forecast to be around 27°C (80°F) with light breezes and low humidity.

Source: www.aljazeera.com