Topline
President Donald Trump’s highly anticipated UFC bout taking place on his 80th birthday at the White House is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. on Sunday—but the possibility of volatile weather in the Washington, D.C., area, including potential thunderstorms, high winds, hail, and also the chance for swarms of insects, could put a damper on the festivities tonight.
Washington, D.C., faces the potential for thunderstorms, strong winds and hail during the mixed martial arts fight on the White House lawn.
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Key Facts
D.C. could see scattered thunderstorms with “damaging wind gusts or large hail,” the National Weather Service said in a forecast for the region on Sunday, with wind speeds reaching as high as 60-70 mph.
In an update shortly before 2 p.m. on Sunday afternoon, forecasters at the NWS predicted two rounds of thunderstorms could reach D.C. between 4 p.m. and 10 p.m.—lining up closely with the hours of the White House event.
The Northeast is also experiencing a multi-day heat wave, and the temperature in the capital could reach highs of 95 degrees Fahrenheit (the temperature in D.C. was 91 degrees around 4:30 p.m. on Sunday afternoon).
Forecasters also warned a “brief tornado” could spawn east of I-95, but the region faces no official tornado or severe thunderstorm watches as of Sunday afternoon.
BIG NUMBER
70%. That’s the chance of rain in Washington at 8 p.m., according to Capital Weather, with high humidity making the forecasted temperatures of the mid-80s at the time feel more like 90.
Will There Be Bugs?
“The three big problems, as far as I am seeing right now, are rain, lightning and a ton of bugs,” UFC CEO Dana White told the Hollywood Reporter in a profile earlier this month. White told the entertainment publication he previously attended a Rose Garden dinner in May where “clusters” of black gnats attacked guests. Speaking to the Boardroom podcast in May, White said he spoke to his head of production about the problem immediately after the dinner. “When you’re a fighter, think about that lighting grid,” White said. “The amount of power in the lights, moths, gnats, and god knows what else.” Later, he admitted dealing with issues like insects is “why I don’t like fighting outside, ever.” An entomologist who spoke to Axios said he expected a “100%” chance of bugs on Sunday night, including mosquitos, mayflies, moths and even possibly biting black flies.
Will The Fight Be Delayed?
Even with the potential for thunderstorms, it’s unlikely the White House or UFC is planning to reschedule the event. “I don’t care if it snows, rains, we’re going,” White told the Associated Press last week. “Even lightning. You guys all played sports when you were growing up. Whenever there was lightning, you’d sit the lightning out. When it was over, you played. That’s what we’ll do.” The White House did not immediately return a request for comment from Forbes, but blasted the Weather Channel for warning of a “chaotic weather setup,” saying the event would go on “rain or shine.”
Key Background
White, who has run the UFC since 2001, is a prominent Trump supporter, and has spoken at multiple rallies and events for the president. At the 2016 Republican National Convention, White cast Trump as a crucial ally for the sport in its early days. “In 2001 my partners and I bought the UFC and it was basically considered a blood sport. State athletic commissions didn’t support us, arenas around the world refused to host our events. Nobody took us seriously, nobody except Donald Trump.” White has remained a close ally to the president, and the Trump administration began planning a UFC bout on the White House lawn last year during his first year back in office. The National Park Service is reportedly using about $67 million in funds from national park entrance fees to pay for the event, the New York Times reported last month citing court filings.
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