A chaotic cluster of storms that had been hitting the Gulf Coast for several days coalesced into Tropical Storm Arthur. As the season’s first tropical cyclone emerges, concerns are growing that certain World Cup fixtures could be at risk.

Flash flooding posed the greatest threat from Arthur, a relatively weak tropical storm that the National Hurricane Centre in Miami predicted would be short-lived. Maximum sustained winds reached around 40 mph, with little intensification expected before the system was forecast to peter out by Wednesday night or early Thursday.

The tropical storm is expected to develop near the Texas coastline before moving inland close to the Texas-Louisiana border, bringing torrential rain, flooding concerns and powerful gusts to parts of southeast Texas and southwest Louisiana.

The storm hovered over Texas during a draw between Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal and DR Congo in Houston. The match proceeded as planned, with local authorities stating that the impact on supporters should remain limited, though rain could affect travel to and from the venue.

Crucially, the NRG Stadium, which hosted Wednesday’s match, is equipped with a roof, minimising the risk of disruption to play.

The primary concern remained travel, as officials cautioned of flooded roads, transport delays and disruption for supporters across southeast Texas, with between four and eight inches of rainfall anticipated in certain areas.

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National Hurricane Centre director Michael Brennan warned during a briefing that flash flood alerts had already been issued across the Houston metropolitan area, with further warnings expected throughout the region, even after the storm’s centre passes.

“The main threat from Arthur is going to be a prolonged, multiday, heavy rainfall event that could produce dangerous to life threatening flash flooding,” Brennan said.

A 15-year-old boy is believed to have drowned in a flooded retention pond near Houston, authorities confirmed on Tuesday evening.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office said on social media that a group of teenagers had been playing near a construction site and an adjacent retention pond when the boy entered the water. Rescue teams recovered his body using sonar equipment following an extensive search operation.

“This incident serves as a solemn reminder of the dangers associated with floodwaters, particularly following periods of heavy rainfall,” the post said.

Flooding was expected to continue through Friday across parts of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and the Florida Panhandle, according to the hurricane centre.

The tropical storm is predicted to bring rainfall totals of 13 to 25 centimetres, with isolated higher totals approaching 50 centimetres. Rising waters surging inland from the coastline, coupled with storm surge and tidal effects, are poised to swamp normally dry coastal regions.

Swells generated by Arthur are expected to bring life-threatening surf and rip current conditions to the northwestern Gulf Coast over the coming days, while the risk of tornadoes persists through Thursday.

As of Wednesday morning, the centre of Tropical Storm Arthur was located approximately 40 miles east-northeast of Port O’Connor, Texas, according to an advisory. The storm was moving northeast at roughly 9 mph, with forecasters predicting its forward momentum to gather pace.

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