England vs Mexico weather delay possible - what happens if thunderstorms hit Azteca
There's a possible storm on the horizon for England, in more ways than one.
The England national team are always baring the weight of expectation and carrying the hopes of the nation on their back because, as we all know too well, World Cup failure leads to heartbreak and a whirlwind of criticism.
The Three Lions were staring down the abyss of such a fate when they were a goal down to DR Congo with 15 minutes remaining in the last 32 on Wednesday (1 July).
Then Harry Kane struck twice in the closing stages to secure the win and earn England a treat of a trip to Mexico.
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The co-hosts await in their capital and there's plenty going against Thomas Tuchel's side, with altitude, Mexico's great record at the Azteca, and the potential for fans to disrupt the squad's sleep before the game all adding to the difficulty of the tie.
To make matters worse, there's a chance it could even be delayed.
England vs Mexico at risk of storm delay
While the game gets underway at a comfortable time of 6pm on Sunday (5 July) in Mexico City, that works out as a challenging 1am kick-off for all of us back home.
It's going to be a slow day in the office on Monday, that's for sure, and that's if the game kicks off on time, which there's a chance it won't.
Storm protocols in the host nations have seen several games delayed when thunder and lightning have been detected in the vicinity of the stadium.
The latest was Mexico's 2-0 last 32 victory over Ecuador, which had to be pushed back an hour due to the weather disruptions just before it was set to start at the Azteca.
Sunday's weather forecast in Mexico City
Now, early weather forecasts for Sunday are suggesting a storm could strike just ahead of the game's scheduled kick-off time.
Weather website AccuWeather believes there is a 31 percent chance of thunderstorms, with rain and heavy cloud cover also expected.
The MET Office, meanwhile, has forecast thunder and lightning between the hours of 5pm-7pm.
The Weather Channel has predicted thunderstorms in Mexico City for the next week, and also claims one will develop late on Sunday.
England have avoided weather delays in the tournament so far, though their pre-tournament friendly with Costa Rica in Florida was put back an hour. A delay in Mexico City, however, would have a big impact back in England.
Sir Keir Starmer has announced pubs will be able to stay open beyond already relaxed licensing hours until 5am to show the match.
With a 1am kick-off, the 90 minutes would be concluded by 3am. Yet, if extra-time or a dreaded penalty shoot-out is required, the game might not finish until touching 4am.
As a result, any delay to the kick-off time could lead to an awkward scenario where pubs are having to close their doors at 5am before the match has even concluded.
World Cup storm protocols explained
If lightning or electrical activity is detected with an eight-mile radius of an open-roofed stadium, the event must be suspended for a minimum of 30 minutes.
If no further lightning strikes in that period, the game can resume once the players are ready after a 15-minute warm-up.
However, if electrical activity is detected before the time has elapsed, the clock will restart once more.
Additionally, play will be halted again if lightning is spotted within the radius at any point, even if play has only just restarted.
On the protocols, FIFA has said, via The Athletic: "FIFA’s emergency preparedness team meets regularly with national meteorological and emergency management authorities in the United States, Canada and Mexico, as well as with partners across all 16 host cities.
"A comprehensive, tournament-wide preparedness exercise focusing on severe weather scenarios has further strengthened cross-agency coordination and operational readiness.
"Stadiums are required to maintain robust risk management and evacuation procedures, including lightning and severe weather protocols aligned with local legislation and international best practice."
Daniel Murphy