GB News has reported a weather warning that could spell trouble for England's World Cup last-16 match against Mexico in Mexico City. Meteorologist John Kettley has described the situation as "bizarre," noting that the storm risk is high and potentially deadly.
Storm Warning for England vs Mexico
John Kettley, a weather forecaster, told presenter Dawn Neesom: "It is a very bizarre situation, really, because they often play the matches at midday for obvious reasons. The storms tend to gather as the afternoon heat develops." He added that there is a 90% chance of a storm during the day, with temperatures around 24-25 degrees Celsius, enough to trigger thunderstorms.
The match was originally scheduled for 6pm local time (1am BST on Monday, July 6), but FIFA confirmed it would proceed at the initial kick-off time despite concerns. Kettley noted that if the game had been moved to 6pm BST, it would have avoided most storm risks, as there were no storms at that time the previous day.
Killer Storms and Altitude Challenges
Kettley emphasized the severity of the storms: "These are killer storms. You can't belittle these storms in Central America. They are pretty violent affairs, and they can go on for an hour or two; they self-perpetuate. They are 7,200 ft above sea level, and it's very humid there, so they are proper storms, not the little ones we get sometimes in this country."
In addition to weather, England must adapt to the altitude. Manager Thomas Tuchel commented on Saturday: "We feel it even if we don't train. I felt, for example, a slight headache in the hotel room throughout the day. I didn't sleep as well as the days before. But nothing you can't handle and you can't adapt to." He noted that players felt the altitude initially but coped better as training progressed.
Potential Path to Final
If England beat Mexico, they face Brazil or Norway in the quarter-finals. A semi-final would be on Wednesday, July 15, at 20:00 BST in Atlanta, and a potential final on Sunday, July 19, at 20:00 BST in New Jersey.
