A tornado struck Kansas City just hours after the England football team arrived at their World Cup base in the area.
Thomas Tuchel’s squad arrived in the Midwest on Saturday afternoon after taking a day and a half off in Florida. They held a community training session at their Swope Soccer Village base at 5 PM local time (11 PM BST).
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As the team took to the field under the scorching sun at 30 degrees Celsius, a tornado warning was issued for parts of the city, anticipating storms in the early evening.
The National Weather Service confirmed fears of severe weather, issuing a warning for the area: “SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING in effect until 9 PM CDT for DESTRUCTIVE 80mph winds.”
“Seek shelter in a sturdy building, away from windows. Flying debris may be fatal for those unprotected.”
The Independent reports that England’s players were instructed to take shelter as sirens resonated throughout the city.
The storm warning prompted an early closure of Kansas City’s fan festival for safety reasons.
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Event organizers released a statement: “Due to expected severe weather, the FIFA fan festival will close early at 5 PM and will remain closed for the day. The safety of the public, staff, volunteers, and performers is our top priority.”
England’s pre-tournament camp in Florida faced multiple weather challenges, including their final warm-up match against Costa Rica, which was delayed by an hour due to a thunderstorm, though nothing as severe as a tornado had occurred.
All 26 members of the England squad trained in the heat, prior to the weather turning, after checking into their hotel, the Inn at Meadowbrook in southern Kansas City.
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A few hundred fans greeted them at the hotel, and around 700 watched the training session.
This arrival followed an unfortunate incident where their base suffered a theft of training equipment, including some team boots and official tournament balls, on Friday.
Tuchel’s team is set to kick off their World Cup campaign against Croatia on Wednesday, followed by matches in Group L against Ghana and Panama.
Additional reporting from PA