- ‘Possibly severe’ thunderstorm for Friday night
- Heavy rain, damaging winds and ‘giant’ hail expected
- READ MORE: Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s Australian rendezvous
Taylor Swift fans will need to pack their ponchos and gumboots for her first Eras Concert in Sydney with a fresh warning issued for a severe thunderstorm causing heavy rain and ‘giant’ hail.
A ‘potentially severe’ thunderstorm’ is expected to strike in the late afternoon and evening on Friday after a 35C day in the Harbour City – potentially ruinous news for 80,000 Swifties.
Event-goers are being urged by the NSW State Emergency Service to make ‘safe and sensible decisions’ as the severe weather would make travelling ‘hazardous’.
NSW SES Chief Superintendent Dallas Burnes advised Swifties to plan ahead so they can arrive at the arena safely.
‘We may see some very poor weather this afternoon and evening across parts of Sydney, Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Illawarra, parts of the South Coast and eastern parts of the Southern Tablelands,’ Chief Superintendent Burnes said.
‘The weather expected may make things like travelling hazardous, with high end heavy rain and flash flooding a possibility.
‘We hope everyone has a very enjoyable time at these events but ask people to plan ahead so they can get there safely.’
A spokesperson for Accor Stadium told the show will go on ‘rain or shine’ – except in severe weather which could ‘impact the safety of artists and patrons’.
‘Such a decision would be made by NSW Police, the event promoters and Venues NSW staff,’ they said. No such decision has been made,’ the spokesperson said.
Chief Superintendent Burnes said SES is working closely with the Bureau of Meteorology to monitor the situation and will provide warnings and updates as required.
Severe thunderstorms likely across eastern #NSW on Friday with damaging winds, large hail and heavy rainfall. Destructive winds and giant hail are also possible. Latest: https://t.co/4W35o8i7wJ pic.twitter.com/RgrS91g7U3
— Bureau of Meteorology, Australia (@BOM_au) February 22, 2024
BoM issued a severe weather warning at 1.57pm for residents in parts of Illawarra, Southern Tablelands, South Coast and Central Tablelands Forecast Districts.
‘A cold front will cross the south of the state today, with fast-moving severe thunderstorms developing in the warm and unstable airmass ahead of it, BoM said.
‘Severe thunderstorms are likely to produce damaging winds, large hailstones and heavy rainfall that may lead to flash flooding in the warning area over the next several hours.’
Meanwhile, Swift fans in Queensland are desperately trying to buy last-minute flights to Sydney after seven flights seven flights were cancelled due to the severe weather.
At least four flights from Brisbane and three flights from Gold Coast were cancelled.
One fan told ABC Radio Brisbane Breakfast she spent $700 on last-minute flights after her Brisbane to Sydney flight was cancelled.
‘I woke up this morning to an email from Virgin saying that my flight this afternoon had been cancelled,’ Swift fan Megan said.
‘When I called them, they did say that [the storms] were the reason for the cancellation.’
Megan frantically booked a last minute flight after discovering the airline rebooked her on a flight to Sydney on Sunday – despite her holding tickets to Saturday night’s concert.
‘I’ve had to rebook flights with Qantas for tomorrow morning for pretty much the double the price of what I originally paid for them. They were $700 one way for tomorrow more,’ she said.
The singer’s performance to a sold-out crowd at Accor Stadium is the first of four consecutive nights from Friday to Monday.
