New York City battered by flash floods and thunderstorms hours before World Cup final

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As Spain and Argentina prepared to go head-to-head in New Jersey's MetLife Stadium on Sunday afternoon, parts of New York and New Jersey were battered by forceful storms which have left thousands of people without power.

Both teams had to postpone training on Saturday after thunderstorms in New York City and New Jersey brought 52.6mm of rain overnight, drenching the city.

Heavy rain on Saturday submerged the streets of New York and unleashed traffic chaos, with some drivers stranded in their cars and forced to wade through water.

Parts of the city saw between two and four inches of rain within just a few hours, according to the National Weather Service.

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The downpour triggered a tornado warning, disrupted subway lines and caused hundreds of flights to be grounded.

Videos on social media show drivers wading through the floods with rubbish bags over their legs after leaving their submerged cars.

“People are literally swimming,” one woman can be heard saying in a video.

Another showed bins and restaurant umbrellas floating down flooded streets and water pouring down subway staircases and through broken ceilings onto platforms.

In lower Manhattan, western Brooklyn and parts of Queens, emergency officials urged residents in basement apartments to seek higher ground.

One video shows a fire truck in Queens ploughing through water to rescue stranded drivers from a truck, while another driver can be seen wading through water reaching up to his chest.

An emergency flash flood alert was issued to New York City residents at 12.30pm on Saturday, warning of a "dangerous" risk to life.

The bad weather has been a disaster for the competing teams as they prepare for the final game of the World Cup.

Argentina had to delay their training session at the Red Bulls Performance Center in New Jersey at 11.30am for 45 minutes due to a massive thunderstorm.

Spain had to cancel their training altogether due to the poor weather.

It's not the first time bad weather in the region has threatened to derail the World Cup.

England's last-16 match against Mexico was delayed by an hour due to a storm and also arrived late in Miami for their clash against France for the same reason.

And there had already been calls for the Final to be moved from New York after wildfire smoke from Canada blew south towards the city.