England vs Mexico weather forecast: Will World Cup clash be delayed by storms?

The game was scheduled for a 1am BST kick-off time in the UK on Monday morning (6pm local time), though that was thrown into chaos on Friday night after suggestions that it could be moved by FIFA as a result of concerns over more projected thunderstorms and heavy rain set to hit Mexico City.

It looked as if the game was likely to be brought forward by six hours to a much earlier 12pm window, which would have been a far more palatable 7pm start for fans in the UK. However, it later transpired that the match would remain in its original slot, with plenty of anger, confusion and bemusement caused by the uncertainty in both camps and among fans.

FIFA are continuing to closely monitor the weather, after kick-off in Mexico’s 2-0 last-32 win over Ecuador at the same venue on Tuesday was delayed for an hour as the result of thunder and lightning.

The weather forecast for Sunday in Mexico City – which varies depending on which website you check – is generally for bright conditions through the morning with cloud in the early afternoon and a top temperature of around 26 degrees.

According to AccuWeather, thunderstorms with heavy rain and high humidity are expected to move in from around 4pm and continue through 5pm.

The rainfall looks likely to continue pretty consistently thereafter, with more storms possible at around 8pm.

If that were indeed to be the case, then it seems likely that England vs Mexico could well be either delayed ahead of kick-off or suspended once it has already gotten under way.

England fans and media members have already been sharing clips on social media of the torrential rain that has hit Mexico City over the weekend, leading to fears of potential flooding.

If that occurs, then players, coaches and officials must all return to their dressing rooms and fans told to evacuate the stands in search of safe shelter.

A 30-minute countdown is then started, during which time the aforementioned area must be completely clear of lightning before the match can proceed or resume.

If more lightning is recorded during that time, then the clock is reset every time until there is a full half-an-hour period without any.

Players will then return for a short warm-up before a resumption time is confirmed.