Weather forecast for Trump’s birthday and UFC Freedom 250 event on the White House lawn
Several commentators have questioned the decision to stage a UFC event outdoors - what are the chances it be could disrupted by bad weather?
The White House is putting the finishing touches on an event unlike anything seen before in its 225-year history. UFC Freedom 250 takes place on the South Lawn this Sunday - the event is one of many lined up this year to mark the Semiquincentennial - 250 years since the Declaration of Independence. And by chance or design, it also just happens to coincide with President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday.
The main event features Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje in a high‑stakes lightweight title unification bout. Before that, Alex Pereira will step into the octagon with Ciryl Gane - a contest that will decide he interim heavyweight title. Five other bouts make up the fight card in DC.
UFC Freedom 250 will be different to previous events as it will be held outside in the open air, inside a temporary arena - a galvanized steel structure known as “The Claw”. The action will be shown on a giant LED screen for fans congregating over the road in Ellipse Park.
Weather outlook for Sunday June 14 in Washington DC
The event gets underway at 8 p.m. local time and the daytime forecast, according to accuweather.com, is for sunshine and mixed clouds with highs of 93ºF and light winds. However there is a 20% to 30% chance of rain in the evening when the fight night gets underway.
The Atlantic Hurricane season is officially underway and while it is rare for the DC metro area to be directly affected, AccuWeather’s lead hurricane expert Alex DaSilva is expecting a sticky, humid evening. “It doesn’t look like it’s going to be a washout or anything like that. But there definitely is that risk of an afternoon thunderstorm coming by,” he told USA Today last week.
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