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Storms loom over UFC
The UFC Freedom 250 fight at the White House on Sunday is set to begin at 8 p.m. ET on President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday, but severe thunderstorms and lightning are forecast to threaten the South Lawn event.
The BBC said about 4,300 people are expected at the invite-only mixed martial arts event on the South Lawn, with another 85,000 expected at a nearby fan zone, and it warned the National Weather Service expects humidity exceeding 70% with a 70% chance of rain that could drop as much as half an inch of water.
Deadline reported the D.C. region was put under a severe thunderstorm watch until 11 p.m., and the UFC told attendees to “plan accordingly” as the main timeframe in and around the Beltway was described as 6-10 pm.
AccuWeather said thunderstorms were expected to increase during 7-11 p.m. on Sunday and that lightning was one of the top dangers for spectators gathered outside, with winds of 50-60 mph not ruled out between 7 and 11 p.m.
UFC, weather, and insects
UFC CEO Dana White said the event will go on despite the forecast, telling the Hollywood Reporter that “The three big problems, as far as I am seeing right now, are rain, lightning and a ton of bugs,” and he previously described black gnats attacking guests at a Rose Garden dinner in May.
Forbes reported that the National Weather Service forecast for Washington, D.C. included “damaging wind gusts or large hail,” with wind speeds reaching as high as 60-70 mph, and it said forecasters predicted two rounds of thunderstorms could reach D.C. between 4 p.m. and 10 p.m.
USA Today said the highest chance of thunderstorms in Washington D.C. is at 8 p.m. ET, the scheduled start time, and it cited Pallozzi’s forecast that the chances for rain start at 30% and peaks at 70% at 8 p.m.
The Washington Times said UFC CEO Dana White told Fox News that “The only thing that kills us is lightning,” and it reported the UFC would monitor conditions with the U.S. military.
What happens next
The event’s weather risk is tied to the outdoor setup under “The Claw,” with the BBC describing the “Claw” as a 92ft high metal structure that looms over the octagon and many of the seats, weighing 600 tonnes.
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The BBC said the UFC spent about $60m (£45m) on the event, including $700,000 for grass repairs afterwards on a lawn that hosts the annual Easter Egg Roll, and it noted the seven-bout card ends with the main card between Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje.
LiveNOW from FOX said Trump will be surrounded by Cabinet leaders, top administration officials, Republican lawmakers and 4,000-plus spectators on the South Lawn, while thousands more watch on big screens from the nearby Ellipse.
In addition to weather, the BBC reported a lawsuit filed by the Public Integrity Project sought to halt the event and that a judge denied an emergency injunction to stop the fight, a ruling the White House described as “frivolous.”
