Paris weather map during ceremony exposes city’s rotten luck
It was a ceremony like no other, but even before the first barge went down the River Seine, the writing was on the wall that a “disaster” was looming.
Well, dancing in the rain has been taken to a whole new level.
Spectators and performers, athletes, world leaders and celebrities alike witnessed a soggy start to the 2024 Olympic Games, as the official opening ceremony kicked off on the iconic River Seine in Paris.
The writing was on the well before the first barge floated down the 6km route, with forecasters predicting heavy rain showers throughout the evening in Paris days out from the event. One meteorologist was so concerned about the brewing storm, he said the event would be a “disaster” as the clouds took to the sky.
And as predicted, boy did Mother Nature deliver.
As more than 300,000 spectators lined the river — where all the main events of the ceremony were held on board barges and riverboats — a grim looking cloud hovered over the city of love. The ceremony was a “world-first” given it was not held in a main stadium.
One shot of the European weather radar showed a large looking rain band hovering the length of France. And while final figures are yet to be lodged, about 25mm to 30mm of rain was expected between 6pm and midnight during the three-hour ceremony.
According to weather forecaster Patrick Marliere, that’s equivalent to around 15 days of rainfall, as reported by Reuters.
“It’s going to be a disaster for these few hours,” Mr Marliere, the head of independent weather forecaster Agate Meteo, said on RMC radio in the hours before the big event.
“I’ve been running models for two hours, going full circle, comparing all weather models, but unfortunately everything is confirming this trend for the start and the end of this evening. We won’t be able to avoid it.”
But despite the downpour, which literally seemed to target the length of France before moving in after the ceremony, the on-and-off showers did not seem to dampen the hundreds of thousands there to celebrate the event.
While some wore ponchos and huddled under umbrellas, the crowds were up and dancing as the city of light captivated the world.
Paris 2024 organiser Tony Estanguet had been spruiking the ceremony for months, keeping key details, performers and logistics under very tight wraps. But one thing was for sure, he planned to “push the limits as far as possible”.
“I’ve got such an adrenaline rush. It’s very exciting,” Selene Martinez, told SBS news, who had travelled from Mexico for the ceremony.
“It’s a great idea. The performances are awesome. I just wish it wasn’t raining,” 69-year-old Pauline Brett, who had come from Chicago with her family, added.
Social media users were quick to commend those performing — and willing to stick out the three-hour performance in such conditions.
“Mad respect to everyone performing in the rain in Paris,” one user wrote on X.
“I felt sorry for them in all the rain,” another added.
“The rain gave Paris and the event a magical quality!”
“Paris. It’s the City of Lights … Rain comes with the charm.”
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