Taylor Swift likely to perform her first Sydney show in a hot thunderstorm

Tens of thousands of Taylor Swift fans attending her Eras Tour will have to deal with scorching hot weather and the risk of a severe thunderstorm, on the night of Swift’s first Sydney show. The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has predicted a maximum temperature of 35C on Friday, with an 80 per cent chance of rain in the late afternoon and the evening. A “possibly severe” thunderstorm is also likely in the afternoon and evening, with potentially damaging winds and large hail that could affect the musician and those in attendance at her show. A spokesperson for Accor Stadium said the show will go on “rain or shine” – with the exception of 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. Some have discussed the possibility of adding a roof to Accor Stadium to avoid poor weather conditions in the future, such as Venues NSW CEO Kerrie Mather. “That will provide a massive competitive advantage actually for New South Wales both domestically and internationally,” she said. “It would certainly enable us to compete very effectively against Melbourne. They have a number of stadiums and arenas with operable roofs and we actually have none.” Hot weather is expected across the country on Friday, with Perth in particular expected to reach a maximum temperature of 39C. There is currently a heatwave warning in Western Australia and Tasmania, and a severe thunderstorm warning in the Northern Territory.