A huge thunderstorm blew across Manchester tonight, with so much rain falling that it created a waterfall at Manchester United's Old Trafford stadium - just hours before the Derby .
Footage captured by Sky Sports showed gallons of water cascading from the roof and onto seats close to pitch level, seats that tonight will be populated by some of the 75,000 fans watching United take on Man City .
It happened where the Stretford End meets the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand, less than an hour before the gates were due to open for the crucial match that is of critical importance for City's Premier League title bid and for United's efforts to finish in the top four.
The stadium's roof has been known to have leaked on a number of occasions in the past, although tonight's incident could be the most dramatic yet.
It comes amidst growing complaints from fans at an apparent lack of investment into the stadium by the club, at a time when many of United's main rivals are spending big money upgrading their facilities - or building a new ground in the case of Tottenham Hotspur.
The short but extremely sharp storm blew across the city at about 5pm, leaving pedestrians scattering for shelter, and causing difficulties for motorists who had to negotiate standing water and flooding that developed quickly on some city centre roads.
At the Emirates Old Trafford, Lancashire's One-Day Cup cricket match against Northants was abandoned when the storm struck.
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