On Sunday evening, the away dressing room at Old Trafford in Manchester was inundated due to heavy rainfall accompanied by a thunderstorm. This incident occurred towards the end of a football match where Manchester United faced a 1-0 defeat against Arsenal. The intense weather caused significant leaking at the 114-year-old stadium, with social media footage showing water cascading into the stands and flooding areas such as the team's dressing room.
The substantial rainfall, quantified at 1.6 inches in just two hours following the match's conclusion, far surpassed the total rainfall from the same period the previous year. Despite the disruptions caused by the weather, all spectators were able to exit the venue safely.
During this event, high-profile individuals including Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer and Manchester's Mayor Andy Burnham were in attendance. The flooding brought attention to the ongoing discussions about the future of Old Trafford, with plans under consideration either to renovate the existing structure or build a new "Wembley of the North." Jim Ratcliffe, the co-owner of Manchester United, has proposed a vision involving an investment of £1.3 billion into the club, pledging £237 million specifically for the stadium upgrades.
Such redevelopment efforts are deemed necessary, especially in light of the stadium's aging infrastructure becoming evident through incidents like this flooding. The discussions about the stadium's future include local and national political figures, and are part of a broader initiative to revamp the surrounding Trafford Park area.