World Cup weather: France vs. Morocco will be warm

This World Cup is going to be hot and, at times, stormy, with a sizeable chunk of its 104 games set to be played above 90F (32C).

Spread across the United States, Canada and Mexico, it is likely to be the warmest edition since the previous World Cup in North America, when the U.S. hosted it solo in 1994.

While extreme heat and humidity will affect how matches are played, thunderstorms could provide the greater logistical challenge.

Under the thunderstorm protocol in place, a match must be suspended if lightning or electrical discharge is detected within an eight-mile radius of the stadium involved.

Once that happens, a 30-minute countdown begins, but resets if another strike is detected before it ends. On June 22, the game between France and Iraq became the first World Cup game delayed by the storms, stopping for more than two hours.

To help understand which games will be most affected, The Athletic is working with Aaron Mentkowski, chief meteorologist at WKBW-TV Buffalo, to provide a daily forecast. Aaron will join live coverage to explain what’s happening during storm delays.

France vs Morocco

Gillette Stadium, Foxboro. Kick-off 4pm local time

It will be warm for fans and players today. At 4 pm, the match will start with a temperature of 87F (31C), under partly sunny skies. Clouds will increase during the game, but it will stay dry. At 6 pm the temperature will be near 85F (29C). Winds will be out of the southwest at 5 to 15 miles per hour.