Middlesbrough, Sunderland friendly called off due to storm conditions

Friday's pre-season friendly between Middlesbrough and Sunderland has been abandoned due to storm weather conditions.

Torrential rain, thunder and lightning began midway through the first half at the Riverside Stadium and continued into the interval.

The conditions became markedly worse and, at the break, a massive downpour forced players who were warming up to rush off the field.

Boro announced soon after that the game against their North-East rivals, which was still goalless, had been abandoned in the interests of player and crowd safety.

"I popped my head out at half time and it was ridiculously heavy," Sunderland boss Jack Ross told BBC Sport.

"There's a safety issue with thunder and lightning as well, and as it's pre-season, it's an easier decision to make rather than a competitive match."

Middlesbrough and Sunderland were Championship rivals last season, before the latter were relegated to League One.