2024 Paris Olympics: Opening Ceremony along Seine River could be affected by rain
Approximately 6,800 athletes will be on 90 boats during the 3.7 mile-parade route
The spectacle that is expected to be Friday's Opening Ceremony at the 2024 Paris Olympics could be affected by rain if Mother Nature has her way.
According to Météo-France, the French weather service says rain "will be continuous and sometimes moderate in intensity until the middle of the night" with temperatures near 68 degrees Fahrenheit.
"There is still uncertainty about the trajectory and exact position (of a rainstorm)," meteorologist Cyrille Duchesne said via Inside the Games.
"Some models (have) Paris on the edge of this heavy rain, while others ... see rainfall of 15-20 millimetres (1.5 to 2 centimetres), or 10 days of rain in two or three hours."
Olympic organizers have said that the Opening Ceremony will go on even if rain starts coming down.
The event “was thought out so it can be held in the rain," Paris Olympic chief organizer Tony Estanguet told France Inter radio.
“It will perhaps be a bit different. We'll adapt," he added.
Aya Nakamura, Céline Dion and Lady Gaga are among the performers who will reportedly perform as part of the event on Friday night.
The Opening Ceremony will begin at 7:30 p.m. local time (1:30 p.m. ET) and last nearly four hours as a procession of 90 boats and approximately 6,800 Olympic athletes travel six kilometers (3.7 miles) along the Seine River, ending in front of the Eiffel Tower.
More on the 2024 Paris Olympics
Nearly 320,000 spectators will be watching along the route — a number that was lower than initial estimates due to security and logistical concerns. There will also be 300 large video screens to allow fans to watch the parade of athletes.
This will be the first time the Opening Ceremony will be held outside of a stadium in the history of the modern Olympic Games.
