Panic in England camp as ‘deadly tornado’ alert hits World Cup base

England players were forced to remain indoors after a severe thunderstorm and tornado warning caused panic around their World Cup training base in Kansas City.

The Three Lions had arrived in Kansas City on Saturday morning and trained for the first time at Swope Soccer Village, the training facility of Sporting Kansas City.

But hours after the team trained under clear skies and bright sunshine, the weather changed dramatically as heavy rain, strong winds, thunder and lightning swept through the area.

According to SunSport, emergency alerts were sent to phones in the area, warning residents of destructive winds of up to 80mph and advising them to take shelter immediately.

The alert reportedly warned that flying debris could be deadly to anyone caught outside and asked people to stay away from windows and move to the lowest floor of a sturdy building.

England players and officials followed the advice and stayed inside as the storm battered parts of Kansas and Missouri.

The squad are based at The Inn at Meadowbrook, an English-style resort south of Kansas City, while their training base is about seven miles from their team hotel.

A tornado watch was also said to have remained in place late into the night for parts of Kansas and Missouri.

Earlier in the day, England had trained in front of about 300 local spectators in hot conditions, with manager Thomas Tuchel and his players appearing relaxed during the session.

However, by evening, the situation had changed completely, with sirens reportedly heard in parts of the city as residents were urged to seek shelter.

The development comes amid earlier reports that England players would be briefed on tornado drills during the tournament because their base is located in a region known for severe storms.

A hotel staff member was quoted as saying that guests are usually advised to shelter in bathrooms, away from windows, whenever tornado sirens are heard.

An FA source had earlier said safety plans were in place, even though the chances of a direct tornado hit were considered remote.

England are preparing for their World Cup campaign under Tuchel, who is hoping to lead the Three Lions to their first major global title since 1966.