What Miami's new 'major heat' warning says about playing World Cup matches amid England vs Norway fears

The City of Miami have published an urgent 'major heatrisk' warning in the hours leading up to the World Cup quarter-final between Norway and England.

The quarter-final is due to kick off in Miami's Hard Rock Stadium at 5pm local time (10pm UK) on Saturday.

A heat advisory has been released between the hours of 11am and 7pm local, and temperatures are expected to climb as high as 33 degrees Celsius during the match.

It is the projected Wet Bulb Globe Temperature - which measures heat while factoring in air temperature, humidity, wind speed and sun angle - that has caused concern over potential delays.

FIFPRO, the external players' union, recommends that when the WGBT goes above 28 degrees Celsius, it should lead to 'the delay or postponement of the match' until that number reaches an acceptable level. The WGBT for Norway versus England is forecasted to stand between 29 and 32 degrees Celsius, according to BBC Sport.

That being said, there is no indication as yet that the game will be delayed from its 10pm kick-off.

There have also been concerns over potential thunderstorms, with lightning strike protocols forcing a game to be suspended for 30 minutes after each strike within an eight to 10-mile radius of the stadium.

However, forecasts have been downgraded in the hours leading up to kick-off in the World Cup quarter-final, with Accuweather now projecting a 43 per cent chance of light rain.

READ MORE: Will England vs Norway kick off on time? Latest probability amid heat and thunderstorm warnings

City of Miami's urgent weather warning ahead of Norway vs England

The heat situation has been declared serious enough by the City of Miami to issue a rare 'major heatrisk' warning in the hours before kick-off at the Hard Rock Stadium.

In a post on Twitter (now X), the City has confirmed that the warning is in place throughout 'much of South Florida' - which is where Miami is based - today.

Furthermore, they state that outdoor activities should be 'limit[ed] during the hottest part of the day'.

The post reads: "High temperatures and humidity can increase the risk of heat-related illness. Stay hydrated, wear lightweight clothing, limit outdoor activities during the hottest part of the day, and spend time in air-conditioned spaces whenever possible. Stay informed."

🌡️ Major HeatRisk is in effect across much of South Florida today.

High temperatures and humidity can increase the risk of heat-related illness. Stay hydrated, wear lightweight clothing, limit outdoor activities during the hottest part of the day, and spend time in… pic.twitter.com/kJJnwfmqTY

— City of Miami (@CityofMiami) July 11, 2026

Most of Miami is placed in the moderate to major risk state by the City, with some parts even placed under the most extreme risk. The Hard Rock Stadium appears to fall within the major category.

England manager Thomas Tuchel told reporters in his pre-match press conference on Friday that his squad had spent the week preparing for the conditions following their 3-2 last 16 win over Mexico - and, indeed, since before the World Cup even started.

"This week, today, we spent quite some minutes in the heat and then we will go from there," Tuchel stated.

"Subjectively, for me, it's always like: 'Can you really prepare for that?' We knew when we stepped out of the plane in Miami, we expected it to feel painful. Maybe we are still lucky, and we get another dark cloud over the stadium, and full rain.

"But everything we did, how we trained, where we trained, when we started this journey together in America, was to prepare. That's what science says. So hopefully it gives us a slight edge. We haven't lost it because we banked it in the heat training sessions."