ORLANDO, Fla. -- England's final World Cup warm-up match against Costa Rica has been delayed by an hour following lightning storms in Orlando on Wednesday.
The Three Lions were due to kick-off at 4 p.m. local time but thunderstorms and heavy rain in the area pushed back the start time to 5 p.m.
A pitch inspection was due to take place at 3.15 p.m. -- and sources at the stadium suggested kick-off would be delayed by between 30 minutes and an hour.
Fans who had already arrived at Inter&Co Stadium were told to evacuate from the stands, and retreat to a safe position on the concourses to avoid lightning strikes. Supporters were allowed back into the venue just before 3 p.m. local time.
Safety rules dictate that an eight-mile radius of the stadium must be clear of lightning strikes for at least 30 minutes before any football can be played.
The incident follows on from last week's warm-up game between Saudi Arabia and Puerto Rico in Austin, Texas, which was stopped for almost two hours last week due to extreme weather.
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