Tornado hits Kansas City hours after England arrive at World Cup base
A tornado has hit Kansas City just hours after England touched down at their World Cup base in the city.
Thomas Tuchel’s side arrived down in the Midwest on Saturday lunchtime after a day and a half off in Florida, holding a community training session at their Swope Soccer Village base at 5pm local time (11pm BST).
The sun was still searing when the squad took to the field, with temperatures at 30 degrees Celsius, but a tornado warning was put out for parts of the city as storms were due to hit in the early evening.
Fears of extreme weather have now come to fruition, with the National Weather Service alerting those in the area: “SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING in effect for this are until 9pm CDT for DESTRUCTIVE 80mph winds.
“Take shelter in a sturdy building, away from windows. Flying debris may be deadly to those caught without shelter.”
The incoming warning saw Kansas City’s fan festival shut early for safety reasons.
A statement from organisers read: “Due to anticipated severe weather, Fifa fan festival will be closing early at 5pm and will not reopen today.
“The safety of the public, staff, volunteers and entertainers remains our top priority.”
England’s pre-tournament camp in Florida was littered with weather issues, including their final warm-up friendly against Costa Rica being delayed by an hour after a thunderstorm, but nothing as severe as a tornado.
All 26 members of England’s squad trained in the heat – well before the weather turned – after checking into their hotel, the Inn at Meadowbrook in the south of the city.
A couple of hundred people greeted them at their hotel before 700 spectators watched the training session.
England’s arrival came after their base suffered a theft of training equipment, with items that include some of the team’s boots and official tournament balls stolen on Friday.
Tuchel’s men open their World Cup campaign against Croatia on Wednesday before further Group L games against Ghana and Panama.
Additional reporting from PA
