Man City vs Chelsea stadium evacuated amid weather warning

Manchester City's friendly vs Chelsea was evacuated ahead of kick-off due to lightning strikes around the Ohio Stadium.

A brief storm around two hours before kick-off soaked fans on their way into the 100,000-capacity stadium in Columbus, and a weather warning was displayed on big screens inside the ground.

The stoppage followed similar messages at the Kenan Stadium, Chapel Hill, before the fixture vs Celtic, and the clash with Barcelona was delayed for 80 minutes as a storm covered the Camping World Stadium in Orlando.

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In Ohio, preparations did not seem to be affected too much, as City arrived and inspected the pitch, with ground staff still tending to the surface.

The warning read: "Lightning has been detected in the area. Please shelter in place. Thanks for your patience and co-operation."

After a short delay, fans began to re-enter the stadium and City players came to inspect the pitch, mixing with Chelsea players ahead of the game. Kick off, which is 10.30pm UK time, is set to remain unaffected.