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Sydney Swifties may want to start bejewelling their raincoats and gumboots because Taylor Swift’s first show on Friday could be a wet one. Not only wet, but also humid and blustery, as the forecast predicts hot and stormy conditions around the city.
“There’s going to be a bit of everything,” says Helen Reid, a meteorologist at the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM). “People going to the concert should be ready for a hot summer, a stormy summer, and then a cool summer breeze near the end of the show. You’ve got everything, so the progression of the Eras Tour and the progression of the weather go hand-in-hand.”
Reid says it is expected to be hot and humid into the afternoon, with a high of about 35 degrees. However, a southerly change is predicted shortly before midnight, meaning Swifties will experience a sudden drop in temperature and a breeze (reaching a low of about 23 degrees). Notably, the concert will have likely ended by this time, but fans will still be making their way home. And if the show is delayed, the cool change could occur during the show.
Taylor Swift has braved the elements before, such as during her Foxborough show in the US last year.Credit: Getty
Reid says it’s still too soon to say whether Accor Stadium will be directly hit by a thunderstorm. “I’m expecting some sort of rain throughout the Sydney basin … It might just skirt around the concert-goers,” she says. “But given we’ve got that [atmospheric] change coming through, it may create a line of thunderstorms, in which case everything gets it, including Olympic Park.”
Considering the humidity levels, Reid says the storms could trigger certain weather warnings on Friday, including possible flash flooding or damaging winds. Swifties should be aware that they could get “soaked in a matter of seconds”.
Prepare for all seasons, Reid says, and consider bringing waterproof gear. This may be difficult, considering fans can only bring a small bag (smaller than an A4 size) into Accor Stadium, but Reid says it will not only keep you dry but also warm during the cool change.
Keeping hydrated will also be imperative, especially during the afternoon and early evening when humidity and temperature levels peak.
Swift herself is no stranger to wet weather, having performed both her Foxborough and Nashville shows in the pouring rain last year. Footage of the singer shows her belting out lyrics and dancing around the stage at full capacity, regardless of the raging elements around her.