Paris has spent years planning a distinctive opening ceremony to kick off the 2024 Olympics, moving national parades from the stadium to the Seine.
Live: Follow the highlights from the 2024 Olympics Opening Ceremony
The decision to take the tradition outdoors will allow up to 300,000 fans to watch the ceremony and allow organizers to showcase the heart of Paris as it hosts the Summer Olympics.
This format also has its drawbacks. This will require a massive security operation to cover miles of rivers where the parade will be held, and the ceremony also faces potential weather issues.
As the official start of the ceremony approaches, the likelihood that weather will have an impact on the festivities is growing.
Here are the latest weather conditions for Friday's Olympic opening ceremony.
2024 Paris Olympics
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Olympic opening ceremony weather forecast
According to the Meteorological Channel, there is a 100% chance of rain in Paris on Friday night, with about half an inch of rainfall expected.
Rain is not expected to start until 6 to 7 pm local time. This will take place before the opening ceremony, which is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. local time (1:30 p.m. ET). At 8pm local time, just 30 minutes after the outdoor ceremony started, the chance of rain was higher than 95%.
According to local media reports in Paris, it appeared to start raining about two hours before the ceremony.
Umbrellas, umbrellas and wet laptops, less than two hours until it all starts in Paris #Olympics pic.twitter.com/QyAwOQxmdo
— Rob Moore (@Rob_Maul) July 26, 2024
Temperatures are expected to hover around 70 degrees Fahrenheit when the ceremony begins, making it a comfortable night if it doesn't rain.
More: How Paris turned the Seine into an opening spectacle
What impact would rain have on the actual ceremony? Organizers know that severe weather is possible, but that doesn't make dealing with it any easier. Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo told CNN before the ceremony that rain would pose some challenges, explaining that dancers would need a dry surface.
“There are many moments in this show that need to be very safe for the dancers, no rain, no drinking water,” she said.
At the time, Hidalgo still hoped the rain would be delayed. “I thought maybe, just maybe we'd be lucky tomorrow,” she said.
More: Full sequence of opening parades by country
Thousands of Olympic athletes are expected to arrive in Paris on nearly 100 boats for Friday's ceremony, but due to the unique nature of the ceremony, there is naturally some uncertainty surrounding the event.
Organizing and securing the opening ceremony is already a challenge, and Friday night's rain looks set to bring another test for everyone in Paris.
