The highly anticipated UFC bout on the South Lawn of the White House, or more accurately on it, could draw a crowd of more than 100,000 people Sunday, with the possibility of a roar outside the ring.
Severe thunderstorms are expected on the night of the game, which also happens to be President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday, so event planners will have to keep a close eye on the sky. Dangerous lightning and destructive winds are the most concerning risks for the $60 million event.
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Sunday’s afternoon heat will intensify the thunderstorms, which could develop as early as 2 p.m., with possible storm activity continuing until about 9 p.m. ET, coinciding with the timing of the battle itself.
Forecast models show a line of thunderstorms moving through the D.C. area from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., with the potential for frequent lightning and maximum wind gusts above 50 mph.
NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has highlighted areas from Virginia to New Jersey that are at the highest level of severe weather risk in the nation on Sunday, with Washington, D.C., right in the middle. “Scattered thunderstorms may occur within the region during the peak heating period, creating a risk of damage mainly due to gusty winds,” the center said.
The event could draw more than 100,000 people, most of whom gathered on the Ellipse, with another 4,000 watching the battle on the South Lawn of the White House.
The fight itself takes place inside an “Octagon” under a roughly 100-foot lighting grid known as the “Claw.” The towering metal structure is hard to miss in current aerial photos of the capital, but it can also act as a giant lightning rod during severe thunderstorms.
UFC CEO Dana White said in an interview on Fox News that weather is a concern and that he doesn’t like to fight outdoors because the weather is unpredictable. White said the UFC would monitor the event along with the U.S. military, but noted that lightning could disrupt the event.
“If it rains, we’ll go. If it snows, we’ll go,” White said. “The only thing that kills us is lightning.”
