LIMA: Heat could be a factor at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, with temperatures in excess of 30 degrees Celsius, Brazil's Institute of Meteorology reported on Friday, highlighting a concern for the world governing body FIFA. It came after FIFA said on Thursday that they would begin matches as early as 1 PM in the afternoon for cities of Natal, Recife, Salvador and Fortaleza. Those cities, although the tournament will be held during the winter months of June and July, the temperatures could climb above 30 degrees. Natal has an average June-July maximum of 24.5, Recife 24 and Salvador 23, but their are worries that players could face extreme weather. Teams playing in the southern city of Curitiba are likely to face the opposite problem. The city, which will host one of its four World Cup matches at 7 pm, has an average winter maximum of 13 with night time temperatures sometimes dipping below zero. It is similar to South Africa's World Cup in 2010, that saw matches being played in drastically different climatic conditions, which players and coaches said was a problem. But FIFA has said it is looking at ensuring conditions are similar across Brazil as much as is feasibly possible.
