Nottingham Forest’s players could be taking warm weather training to a whole new level in the coming days as they head into what’s been dubbed “el inferno”.
June may have been a huge disappointment with record rain levels across this country, but temperatures are set to rise and just in time for the Reds’ first outing of pre-season on Saturday in tropical Derbyshire.
Temperatures on Saturday are set to reach 28c (82.4f) by the time they kick-off against Alfreton Town at the Impact Arena, and will be even hotter when they are in Spain a week later, with some suggesting they could even top 40c (100f).
Europe is set to be blasted by a heatwave this weekend, with RTVE meteorologist Silvia Laplana telling viewers, "el inferno (hell) is coming" when she described Spain’s heatmap over the next few days.
The intense heat is expected to continue into next week with Forest set for a trip to Murcia where they’ll play Dundee and Peteborough.
O’Neill’s Reds will play Dundee on Tuesday followed by Peterborough next Saturday at the Pinatar Arena in Murcia, and the heat will almost certainly be a factor for the players.
Come kick-off at 5:30pm on Tuesday evening, the temperature is expected to be around 34c (93.2f) while Saturday’s 6pm start is forecasted to hit 35c (95f) - great for those travelling Reds hoping to seek out the mercury that we’ve struggled to spot on these shores recently.
It’s a far cry from the damp, chilly conditions the Reds were greeted with on Monday when O’Neill had his squad running around Wollaton Park, followed by the torrential downpours Forest had to endure at Nottingham Trent University on Tuesday.
Looking further ahead, temperatures are unlikely to dissipate for the Reds’ trip to Greece the following week, where they’ll take on Europa League outfit Atromitos and then Olympiacos in Athens.
The heat in the Greek capital is likely to be around 33c (91.4) during that trip across the continent.
Fear not though, their first outing on home soil at the City Ground against Crystal Palace on July 19, judging by the long-range forecast is expected to be a more than tolerable 22c – and yes, it’s expected to rain.
