HOUSTON – As storms and triple-digit “feels-like” heat rolls through Houston on Sunday, FIFA organizers say they are ready to clear the FIFA Fan Festival if lightning gets too close.
FIFA’s lightning plan (8-mile rule)
In a statement provided to KPRC 2, a spokesperson with the FIFA Houston Host Committee, said:
“HPD and HFD are monitoring weather at FIFA Fan Festival, and if there is lightning detected within an eight-mile radius, fans will need to exit the grounds and move to a safe location. Following a 30-minute period without any additional lightning detected within that radius, the gates will reopen. The 30-minute clock will restart with each lightning strike within that eight-mile radius.”
Sunday weather timeline
KPRC 2 Chief Meteorologist Anthony Yanez said the heat index could again hit the triple digits Sunday as Southeast Texas shifts into a stormier pattern.
Storms are expected to increase around noon, with the peak window for lightning and heavy rain from about 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. The forecast also includes a 60% chance for lightning around Houston Stadium (which locals know as NRG Stadium), making weather monitoring especially important for visitors not used to how quickly conditions can turn dangerous in Houston.
A low-pressure system in the Bay of Campeche is expected to pull deep tropical moisture into the region starting Sunday. Even if it doesn’t become a named tropical storm, it could still bring significant rain.
Looking ahead
Heavier rain is possible Monday into Tuesday, with forecast totals of 1–3 inches from Sunday through Tuesday and isolated spots up to 5–6 inches.