When the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) heads to the White House on Sunday for the first-ever professional sporting event at the US presidential residence, many of those in attendance will be keeping their eyes on the sky.
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.
A lawsuit failed to halt the event, but hot weather and thunderstorms expected to sweep across the city on Sunday could dampen the spectacle, or send some of those thousands rushing for cover.
The action is set to start at 20:00 EDT (midnight GMT, 01:00 BST), during a window when the National Weather Service expects the air to thicken with humidity exceeding 70% and the temperature to hover around 80F (27C).
The agency has warned "damaging thunderstorms" may shake the region in the evening, and it forecasts a 70% chance of rain that could drop as much as half an inch of water on Washington.
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.
A lawsuit failed to halt the event, but hot weather and thunderstorms expected to sweep across the city on Sunday could dampen the spectacle, or send some of those thousands rushing for cover.
The action is set to start at 20:00 EDT (midnight GMT, 01:00 BST), during a window when the National Weather Service expects the air to thicken with humidity exceeding 70% and the temperature to hover around 80F (27C).
The agency has warned "damaging thunderstorms" may shake the region in the evening, and it forecasts a 70% chance of rain that could drop as much as half an inch of water on Washington.
2 days ago
