Heat and humidity make World Cup quarterfinal challenge for Norway, England even tougher

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Carla Gregory was fighting the heat even before watching the World Cup quarterfinal between England and Norway on Saturday.

She carried cold water in one hand. She had an unfolded fan in the other, flapping it with hopes of creating her own little breeze. And the elements seemed to be winning; no matter what she tried, the England fan was still, at best, uncomfortable.

"I can’t imagine playing 90 minutes in it,” said Gregory, who came to the U.S. with her husband from their home in Telford, England to follow their team through the World Cup.

Norway had Harry Kane to worry about. England had Erling Haaland to worry about. And both sides — in what has been a theme for this World Cup — had the weather to worry about. It was 92 degrees Fahrenheit (33 Celsius) when the teams started warm-ups Saturday afternoon, and with the humidity factored in it felt like 104 F (40 C).

That's a far cry from the seasonable 72 F (22 C) in London or 59 F (15 C) in Lillehammer at that time.

“I think we have trained very lightly,” Norway manager Ståle Solbakken said on the eve of the match. “We haven’t done much hard work. We obviously have tactical sessions, but at a lower tempo and have not trained for long periods.”

In other words, rest and hydration took precedence for Norway — which spent much of the week in South Florida to acclimate. England didn't arrive in the Miami area until later in the week.

“Up until now we’ve played in cool conditions, I would say,” England defender Nico O'Reilly said. “But we’re ready for it.”

This wasn't England's first trip to South Florida on its World Cup journey. The team arrived in Palm Beach Gardens — about 90 minutes north of Miami Gardens — on June 2 for more than a week of training and to get a feel for the heat and humidity.

England also had to adjust to the high temperatures of its Kansas City base camp, and survive Mexico’s altitude to beat the co-host in the round of 16, but hadn't faced anything like the combination of heat and humidity that greeted the teams Saturday.

Gregory said she felt for the players.

“It’s hard just sitting and watching it,” Gregory said.

Gracie Fisher is a student in the University of Georgia’s Carmical Sports Media Institute.

See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here.

Fans wait for the beginning of during the World Cup quarterfinal soccer match between Norway and England in Miami Gardens, Fla., Saturday, July 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

A spectator fan herself before the World Cup quarterfinal soccer match between Norway and England in Miami Gardens, Fla., Saturday, July 11, 2026. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

A fan of Norway waits for the beginning of the World Cup quarterfinal soccer match between Norway and England in Miami Gardens, Fla., Saturday, July 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Norway fans on the stands wait for the start of the World Cup quarterfinal soccer match between Norway and England in Miami Gardens, Fla., Saturday, July 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Spectators fan themselves before the World Cup quarterfinal soccer match between Norway and England in Miami Gardens, Fla., Saturday, July 11, 2026. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

One person remained missing in Missouri on Saturday after heavy rainfall battered parts of the state the previous day, forcing numerous emergency rescues and evacuations, including at a summer camp with more than 200 children.

Several other states also faced the potential for severe thunderstorms and flash flooding as the slow moving storms moved southward.

The National Weather Service said the severe weather impacted a wide region stretching from the Ozark Mountains in southern Missouri eastward into much of the Ohio and Tennessee river valleys.

The service said the storms could bring damaging winds, heavy rainfall and scattered flash flooding to the multistate region, with some places seeing impacts into Sunday. In eastern Tennessee, flooding closed some roads and downed power lines, and authorities from Kentucky to West Virginia told people to be ready to seek higher ground.

Missouri’s Emergency Management Agency warned that while the storms move south and out of the state, further thunderstorms could still bring additional flash flooding, especially in areas that have already received 6 and 12 inches (15 and 30 centimeters) of rain.

Friday's drenching rains washed away roads around Camp Taum Sauk, trapping children and staff at the site in the small southeastern community of Lesterville, according Sgt. Eddie Young, with the state's highway patrol. The Army National Guard used Black Hawk helicopters to fly them to a nearby elementary school and reunite them with their families, he said.

The camp thanked emergency crews in a post on Instagram, saying, “We are beyond thankful for your help keeping our camp community safe.”

Meanwhile campers at the Bearcat Getaway campground near the Black River, about 85 miles (140 kilometers) south of St. Louis, climbed onto a building to get away from the raging waters but it then collapsed, Young said.

“Between the weight and the constant waters underneath it, it just gave away on them,” he said.

Three other people were trapped on trees on the Black River in Reynolds County and were rescued, Young said.

There were no reports of major injuries or fatalities, but a woman in Crawford County was missing after a house was swept from its foundation.

Young confirmed Saturday that the woman, Faith Gregory, was the only person still unaccounted for in the county, which is about 7-0 miles (10 kilometers) southwest of St. Louis.

Family and friends said on social media that they had resumed their search and urged others to look out for Gregory and her dogs, who were also swept away.

The weather service had issued flash flood warnings for the area as thunderstorms piled on one after another.

“It’s very, very popular place for recreation,” Matt Beitscher, a lead meteorologist with the NWS office in St. Louis, said of the affected counties. “So there are campgrounds there. There are float trip locations there. A lot of vulnerable populations that would be susceptible to flash flooding.”

Gov. Mike Kehoe declared a state of emergency and activated one a search and rescue team to assist. He said late Friday that hundreds of people were saved from floodwaters, trees, rooftops and stranded vehicles.

Several major roads were impassable due to flooding and damage, Kehoe said, warning that the Black River continued to rise and was expected to crest at more than 28 feet (8.5 meters) near Annapolis in southeastern Missouri, which would be a record.

“As recovery efforts continue and additional rain is expected, I urge everyone in flood-prone and low-lying areas to stay weather-aware, have multiple ways of receiving alerts, and be ready to take protective action,” Kehoe said in a statement.

In Reynolds County, two rescue boats capsized in the flooding, but other emergency personnel safely recovered the responders, the sheriff's office said.

Associated Press writer Philip Marcelo in East Meadow, New York, contributed.

This image made from video provided by KTVI shows emergency workers handling flash flooding in Lesterville, Mo., Friday, July 10, 2026. (KTVI via AP)

This image made from video provided by KTVI shows flash flooding in Lesterville, Mo., Friday, July 10, 2026. (KTVI via AP)

This image made from video provided by KTVI shows flash flooding in Lesterville, Mo., Friday, July 10, 2026. (KTVI via AP)