Floods force 13,000 people from their homes in World Cup host state Parana as it prepares to host first game on Monday

State capital Curitiba due to host match between Iran and Nigeria

Unclear if flooding has affected the Arena da Baixada stadium

At least nine people have died in the floods, and 30 have been injured

Defending champions Spain using Curitiba as a base during tournament

Heavy rain leads to record breaking water flow at Iguazu Falls

Striking subway workers have gone back to work today

But more strikes are threatened for Thursday - when tournament kicks off



Fierce floods have forced almost 13,000 from their homes in the World Cup host state of Parana as it prepares to host its first game on Monday.

Officials from the southern Brazilian state's civil defence department said flooding had struck 132 cities, including the state capital of Curitiba - a host city for the football tournament.

It is currently unclear if flooding has affected the Arena da Baixada stadium, which will host the first of its four games on Monday when Iran take on Nigeria.

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Fast flowing: Heavy rain has led to people being evacuated from their homes in World Cup host state Parana, while the Iguazu Falls (pictured) is flowing faster than ever

Record breaking: People gather to see the Iguazu Falls, where a record breaking water flow of 45.7 million litres per second has been recorded

Host ground: It is unclear if flooding has affected the Arena da Baixada stadium, which will host the first of its four games on Monday when Iran take on Nigeria

The World Cup Organising Committee has not yet commented on whether the stadium, which has a retractable roof, will be ready for its opening game.



It is also due to host matches between Honduras and Ecuador, Australia and the defending champions Spain, and Algeria versus Russia.

Cup holders Spain have been using Curitiba as their base throughout the month-long tournament, but appeared to be training as normal - unlike the English team who seemed surprised to be accompanied by armed guards as they made their way to their training camp in Rio De Janeiro.



At least nine people have been killed by the floods so far and a further 30 are reported to have been injured, according to Parana's civil defense department.

Prepared: The World Cup Organising Committee has not yet commented on whether the stadium, which has a retractable roof, will be ready for its opening game

Base: Under an ominous looking rainclouds, Spanish players train at their World Cup base in flood-hit Curitiba

Heavy rain in Parana, which borders the state of Sao Paulo, has also led to a record breaking water flow at the Iguazu Falls measured at 45.7 million litres per second - 30 times above normal and surpassing the previous record of 35 million litres per second in 1983.

Parana is not the only host state to be hit by problems ahead of Thursday, when the tournament kicks off.

Striking subway workers in Sao Paulo have gone back to work today, but the union involved has warned they could walk out again on Thursday - the day the city's Arena Corinthians hosts the opening match between Brazil and Croatia - if workers fired over the strike are not reinstated.

Fierce: The water at Iguazu is flowing times above its normal rate and has surpassed the previous record of 35 million litres per second, set in 1983

Danger: At least nine people have been killed by the floods so far and a further 30 are reported to have been injured, according to Parana's civil defense department

Union members voted last night to temporarily suspend the strike they began last week, but also decided they would take a new vote tomorrow to determine whether to resume the stoppage.

Meanwhile, a union representing subway workers in Rio de Janeiro said members would vote later today on whether they would strike.

The actions are a severe threat for World Cup fans because the subways in both cities are being counted on as the main way for spectators to get to the stadiums.

Union officials in Sao Paulo met the state government yesterday afternoon but failed to reach agreement. Subway workers went on strike last Thursday and threw already congested traffic into chaos in the city of 11 million.

Unrest: Striking subway workers and members of the MTST (Homeless Workers' Movement), demonstrate in Sao Paulo

Risk: Striking subway workers in Sao Paulo have gone back to work today, but the union involved has warned they could walk out again on Thursday - the day the city's Arena Corinthians hosts the opening match between Brazil and Croatia

Talks: Union members voted last night to temporarily suspend the strike they began last week, but also decided they would take a new vote tomorrow to determine whether to resume the stoppage

The union's general secretary Alex Fernandes said it is giving the government two days to give jobs back to 42 workers who were fired over the strike.

Sao Paulo union members clashed with police yesterday when they tried to hold a rally in a central station. Officers used tear gas and muscle to push the strikers out of the station.

Altino Prazeres, president of the union leading the strike, said almost all of the 8,000 subway employees had been off the job. Marching with workers on a central street, he said they were not interested in disrupting the World Cup.

'I love soccer. I support our national team. The point is not to stop the cup,' he said.



'We want to resolve this today and all are willing to negotiate.'

On the ball: Steven Gerrard takes part in England training in Rio today

World Cup ready: Adam Lallana and Daniel Sturridge take a moment to char during today's training session

Unusual: England's Daniel Sturridge seemed confused to be walking back to the team bus past armed guards waiting to escort the players to their training camp in Rio De Janeiro

Under protection: England manager Roy Hodgson heads to training, complete with the team's military escort

Teachers remain on strike in Rio and routinely block streets with rallies. Police in several cities have gone on strike, but are back at work now.

There has also been a steady drumbeat of anti-government protests across Brazil blasting spending on the World Cup and demanding improvements in woeful public services. The protests that began last year have diminished in size but not in frequency, and they have sometimes disrupted traffic.

However, one of the movements behind recent demonstrations against the World Cup said it would not stage protests during the month-long event.

Guilherme Boulos, head of the Homeless Workers Movement, said the government had agreed to its demands for low-cost housing, and had promised to build 2,000 houses on land invaded last month by 5,000 people two miles from the Sao Paulo stadium.