Swiss weather havoc forces Swedes to change training plan
With several games played in temperatures of over 30 degrees Celsius, a sudden change saw the weather cool quickly as violent rainstorms broke out on Monday that forced organisers to impose some restrictions on the Swedes' training on the stadium pitch.
"We had planned a training session today and were told that we are not allowed to have plastic guys (defenders used for drills) or poles on the pitch," Sweden coach Peter Gerhardsson told reporters ahead of their session.
"That's the first time I had ever heard that you are not allowed to put them out. I suppose it's to protect the pitch."
In keeping with the Swedish saying that "there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes", Gerhardsson said his side would train, regardless of the rain.
"We're going to do this hour, there should be waterproofs and all those kinds of things," he said. REUTERS
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
Tropical Storm Danas looms over China after battering Taiwan, killing two
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox A man riding a scooter past traffic lights that were knocked down by Typhoon Danas in Chiayi in Taiwan, on July 7. BEIJING - Tropical Storm Danas headed for China's eastern seaboard on the morning of July 8, as Zhejiang province braced for landfall after the storm tore through Taiwan with record winds and torrential rain, leaving two dead and over 600 injured. Packing winds of around 80kmh at its centre, Danas is forecast to make a sharp left turn as it moves north-west across the South China Sea before striking the port city of Taizhou, prompting the local maritime authority to suspend passenger shipping and cancel over 100 voyages. China, the world's second-largest economy, faces growing threats from extreme weather, which meteorologists link to climate change. Risks that each year stand to wipe out tens of billions of dollars worth of commercial activity, as cities flood, shipping activity stalls and croplands are washed out. Authorities in Zhejiang issued a flash flood warning early on July 8, with forecasters expecting 100mm to 250mm of rain to hit the 650km stretch from Fuzhou, the capital of neighbouring Fujian province, to Hangzhou, Zhejiang's capital. After sweeping through Zhejiang, Danas is expected to move into Jiangxi province, whose rolling hills and mountains make it particularly vulnerable to catastrophic flooding. REUTERS
Straits Times
3 hours ago
- Straits Times
All Blacks captain Scott Barrett ruled out of last two France tests
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Rugby Union - Rugby World Cup 2023 - Quarter Final - Ireland v New Zealand - Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France - October 14, 2023 New Zealand's Scott Barrett during the warm up before the match REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier/File Photo All Blacks captain and lock Scott Barrett has been ruled out of the last two tests in the July series against France by a calf tear sustained in the opening clash last weekend, the team said on Tuesday. The All Blacks edged a weakened France team 31-27 in Dunedin last Saturday and will be looking for improved performances in the matches in Wellington this weekend and Hamilton on July 19. Barrett's injury, confirmed by a scan on Monday, means lock Fabian Holland could get a second test after making his debut last weekend, while Tupou Vaa'i is an option to move back into the second row after playing at flanker in the first test. Vice-captain Ardie Savea is likely to lead the All Blacks out at the Wellington Regional Stadium. REUTERS
Business Times
4 hours ago
- Business Times
Record-breaking temperatures in June around the world
[PARIS] From Nigeria to Japan, Pakistan to Spain, the month of June was the hottest ever recorded in 12 countries and was exceptionally warm in 26 other countries, according to AFP analysis of data from the European monitor Copernicus. Some 790 million people around Europe, Asia and Africa experienced their hottest June to date. For the residents of 26 other states, including Britain, China, France, Democratic Republic of Congo and Ethiopia, the month of June was the second hottest on record. Heatwaves are more frequent and intense because of global warming, experts say. Here is a roundup of the exceptional heat recorded in June. Europe: 3 deg C above the norm An early summer heatwave scorched western and southern Europe at the end of June, bringing sweltering heat to the Paris region in France and parts of Belgium and the Netherlands that are not used to such temperatures. People stand in the shade while visiting the Acropolis at the start of a three-day heatwave with temperatures expected to pass 40 deg C, Athens, Greece, July 7, 2025. PHOTO: REUTERS Around 15 countries, including Switzerland, Italy, and every Balkan state, saw temperatures rise to 3 deg C above the June average between 1981 and 2010. Spain, Bosnia, and Montenegro had their hottest June to date. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 12.30 pm ESG Insights An exclusive weekly report on the latest environmental, social and governance issues. Sign Up Sign Up The sun rises by the Eiffel Tower and the Sacre Coeur Basilica as the city is on red alert for high temperatures with the top of the Eiffel Tower shut, Paris, France, July 1, 2025. PHOTO: AFP Asia-Pacific: Record heats on land and at sea Japan also had its hottest June on record since data collection began in 1898, with record temperatures logged in 14 cities during a heatwave. The temperature of coastal waters was 1.2 deg C higher than usual, tying with June 2024 for the highest since data collection began in 1982, the weather agency said on July 1. Heat-exposed workers wearing air-conditioned jackets which have cooling fans on their backs at a construction site. The Japanese government issued a heatstroke alert in Tokyo and other prefectures, Tokyo, Japan, July 7, 2025. PHOTO: REUTERS Japan's summer last year was already the joint hottest on record, equalling the level seen in 2023, followed by the warmest autumn since records began 126 years ago. Japan's beloved cherry trees are blooming earlier due to the warmer climate, or sometimes not fully blossoming because autumns and winters are not cold enough to trigger flowering, experts say. South Korea and North Korea also experienced their warmest June since records began. Temperatures in both countries were 2 deg C higher than the recorded average. In China, 102 weather stations logged the hottest-ever June day, with some measuring temperatures above 40 deg C, according to state media. Central Asia: Hottest spring on record Temperatures soared to record highs for June in Pakistan, home to a population of 250 million, and in Tajikistan, which has 10 million people. The June records followed an exceptionally hot spring in Central Asia. Several countries including Pakistan and Tajikistan, Iran, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan experienced their warmest spring (April-June) ever recorded. Sub-Saharan Africa: Almost as hot as 2024 In Nigeria, the world's sixth most populous country with 230 million people, temperatures rose to June 2024's record-breaking levels. Other parts of central and eastern Africa were also exceptionally hot. June was the second hottest month on record after 2024 in the Central African Republic, South Sudan, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo and Ethiopia. Youths dive into the sea at a beach off the La Goulette suburb of Tunis on July 1, 2025, as summer holidays start in Tunisia, which is bracing for a reported heatwave in the upcoming week. PHOTO: AFP In South Sudan, temperatures passed the normal June average by 2.1°C, an exceptional deviation from the norm in a region of the world where temperatures tend to be more stable. The impoverished nation plagued by insecurity is ill-equipped to counter increasing environmental disasters and had already struggled with a devastating heatwave in March, typically the hottest month of the year. Students collapsing from the heat in the capital Juba prompted the government to close schools and order citizens to remain at home. 'Extreme weather and climate change impacts are hitting every single aspect of socio-economic development in Africa and exacerbating hunger, insecurity and displacement,' warned the UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in May. AFP
