England face Norway in South Florida this evening with eyes fixed on a place in the World Cup semi-final.
The Three Lions are without Jarell Quansah (suspended) and Jordan Henderson (injury) but otherwise have a fully fit squad to pick from.
Thomas Tuchel’s men will be subjected to extreme heat in Miami, though, with a heat advisory from the National Weather Service in place.
What does extreme heat warning mean for England vs Norway?
It is highly unlikely a game of this magnitude will be postponed or delayed due to extreme heat, unless tropical thunderstorms put fans and players at risk.
There is, however, a ‘major risk of heat-related illnesses to much of the population’, especially those without effective cooling or hydration.
What is the temperature for England vs Norway?
England versus Norway is scheduled to kick-off at 5pm local time (10pm BST), at which point the temperature is forecast to be in the mid-30s Celsius.
The ‘feels like’ temperature, on the other hand, could be as much as 10 degrees higher due to a plume of Saharan dust that has created a ‘thermal blanket’, according to meteorologists.
Suffocating conditions are something England will be used to having beaten Mexico in the high altitude of the Azteca Stadium in the last round.
The sweltering heat, though, will be a different test altogether, especially for those with little experience of competing in such conditions.
On the plus side, the Saharan dust plume is expected to lower the chances of electrical storms, which this tournament and at last year’s FIFA Club World Cup caused delays to scheduled kick-off times.
What is the hottest World Cup game in history?
This evening’s England-Norway clash could go down as one of the hottest fixtures in World Cup history, but the record is likely to remain with the Republic of Ireland at World Cup ’94.
The Irish were subject to temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius in the United States that summer, with their game against Mexico taking place in 43 degree heat.
At this World Cup, France versus Paraguay has been the hottest recorded match, played at 38 degrees in Philadelphia with the French prevailing 1-0.