England are no strangers to a weather delay since arriving at the World Cup 2026, and there could be more of the same in Miami tonight.
Fears over the potential for inclement conditions to impact their matches were realised almost straight away, when a 3-0 warm-up win over Costa Rica saw kick-off delayed by an hour due to storms in Orlando.
Two of their first four games at the tournament proper - against Croatia in Dallas and DR Congo in Atlanta - came under closed roofs in air-conditioned venues, while the rain experienced in both Boston and New Jersey for respective meetings with Ghana and Panama thankfully did not lead to any stoppages.
That run ended in Mexico City last weekend, when England’s much-hyped last-16 clash with co-hosts Mexico at the high-altitude Estadio Azteca was also delayed by an hour in getting underway due to extreme weather as lightning and heavy rain hit the capital.
Such a wait did not adversely affect the Three Lions, who went on to produce one of their greatest overseas wins in World Cup history as Jude Bellingham’s quick-fire first-half brace and a penalty from Harry Kane saw them outlast the co-hosts, despite playing most of the second half with 10 men following the red card shown to Jarell Quansah.
England vs Norway weather forecast
England’s next port of call at this World Cup is Miami, where they will face Norway in the quarter-finals tonight.
That match at Miami Stadium - AKA Hard Rock Stadium, the 64,478-capacity home of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins - kicks off at 10pm BST in the UK, which is far more comfortable than the Mexico clash, which did not get underway until 2am on Monday morning.
Miami are five hours behind the UK on Eastern Time in the USA, meaning the fixture will begin at 5pm locally.
Thunderstorms rumbled throughout the night from Friday into Saturday, finally breaking at around 6am local time as dawn broke to a balmy 28C.
Accuweather predict a baking high of 33C an hour ahead of kick-off - with a ‘Real Feel’ above 40C. The chance of rain is at around 50 per cent.
Thunderstorms are then predicted for 7pm, which is when the game is due to end.
There are also fears regarding the heat. An advisory was issued in the morning in Miami for high temperatures and humidity, which may cause heat-related illnesses.
Fifa, and other global sporting bodies, use the Wet Bulb Globe Temperatue (WGBT) which combines air temperature, humidity and surface temperature readings to help keep players safe. FIFPro deem a WBGT reading above 28C enough to "delay or postponement of matches" until conditions are safer.
The WGBT is currently set to be around 29-32C at the time of kick-off, report BBC Sport.
BBC reporter Dale Johnson adds: “There is no suggestion that the game will not take place, but it is obviously right on the edge of what is considered safe.”
Miami Stadium has a large open-air canopy that was installed during renovations back in 2016, rather than a fully enclosed retractable roof.
It is designed to protect the majority of the spectator seating areas from sun and rain, but offers no protection to some of the lower seating areas and the playing surface itself.
US policy on extreme weather at outside sporting events dictates that a match must be delayed or suspended if lightning is detected within an eight-mile radius of the stadium.
Players, coaches and officials must all return inside, while fans are told to evacuate the stands and shelter safely.
The area in question must be completely clear of lightning for a full 30 minutes before a game can safely resume.
