Two meteorologists told the Washington Examiner they think it’s unlikely storms will affect President Donald Trump‘s planned UFC fight on the White House lawn Sunday, though they noted forecasts closer to the event will paint a clearer picture.
“I can’t rule out a shower or a storm, but I don’t think it’s going to be an issue, and temperatures aren’t going to be crazy high either,” said Topper Shutt, chief meteorologist for WUSA 9.
While Shutt doesn’t predict intense storms, Fox 5 evening meteorologist Mike Thomas told the Washington Examiner he expects it will still be hot.
“We’re getting close to summertime here in D.C., so we’re expecting high temperatures,” he said. “Maybe even the mid-90s.”
He also said the current forecast doesn’t seem to call for any sweeping thunderstorms that would interfere with the fight.
“Most of the stuff we look at suggests it may even come in later than that, like around or after the midnight hour,” he said, noting that current forecasts show if storms do happen, they would likely be isolated.
Thomas said UFC fighters should be more concerned about heat exhaustion than thunderstorms, predicting there is only a 30% chance of a pop-up storm affecting the event.
“They could get unlucky with one popping up over their heads, but it wouldn’t be a cancelable forecast at this point in my opinion,” he said. “If a thunderstorm does come across, maybe it causes a brief delay, but not a washout scenario in any of the guidance I’m looking at.”
Both meteorologists emphasized to the Washington Examiner that their forecasts are significantly less accurate than predictions they and other meteorologists would make closer to the event date.
Shutt said Washington sometimes has microscale events, which are very small thunderstorms.
“They can affect a 4-mile area,” he said. “It could shower at the White House and be fine at northwest D.C.”
He said microscale models also aren’t very accurate this far in advance. The Weather Channel currently predicts a 50% chance of precipitation the night of the fight.
Popular podcaster and fellow UFC commentator Joe Roganpreviously raised concerns that the outdoor event could be plagued by bad weather. He also expressed worries about the high level of security required to host the event, which will be broadcast on CBS and livestreamed on Paramount+.
“What kind of f***ing security are they going to have for this? It’s like all the security and the protocols, all that extra s*** in your mind before you have to go out there and fight,” he said. “What if it’s hot and muggy? That’s going to affect people.”
Rogan added that Washington is known for getting hot and muggy in the summer.
“I guess they’ll probably have to have some sort of a roof over it,” he said. “But what if it’s like 98 degrees outside?”
UFC CEO Dana White also said he had reservations about the event being hosted outdoors, though White, who maintains a close friendship with Trump, seemed to think the show would go on, weather concerns notwithstanding.
“There’s just so many different variables you have to deal with, you know, the weather, and you know the worst, obviously, being rain and lightning, yeah, and then bugs, and you know temperatures,” White said during an NPR Newsmakers episode.
The match was organized around both Trump and America’s birthday, arriving just weeks before the U.S. semiquincentennial. The president is expected to attend along with other high-profile guests. Event festivities include a UFC press conference and live entertainment from the Zac Brown Band, who will perform the national anthem.
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The event kicks off Friday evening at the Lincoln Memorial, followed by a Saturday fan fest featuring live shows and celebrity meet-and-greets. Sunday is the big fight day on the White House’s South Lawn.
The headlining matchup is set to feature lightweight champion Ilia Topuria against interim titleholder Justin Gaethje. The event features a total of seven matchups, with fighter Alex Pereira aiming for a third belt against Ciryl Gane and a bantamweight, lightweight, middleweight, and featherweight bout.
