Brighton Pride still going ahead despite Met Office weather warning
It’s going to be very wet and windy at Brighton Pride this weekend.
But despite a yellow weather warning from the Met Office, organisers have insisted they’re ready to ‘adapt’ to the grim conditions.
Weather forecasters have put a wind alert in place for the whole city – and the entire south-west of the country – from 6am until 9pm on Saturday, August 5.
It can get pretty blustery on the south coast at the best of times, so with high speed winds sweeping in, thousands of people flocking to the event will have to grin and bear it.
The Met Office has warned that the ‘unseasonably’ strong wind will cause ‘disruption to travel and outdoor activities’.
Thunderstorms could also hit Brighton amid widespread heavy rain throughout the day.
Wind gusts are expected to reach as high as 37mph on Saturday, while there is a 90% chance of downpours until the afternoon.
The bleak outlook could threaten to dampen spirits but the festival will still go ahead as it stands with its headline acts and parade.
A Brighton Pride spokesperson said: ‘We always plan for a wide range of scenarios and have contingency plans in place that adapt to emerging situations.
‘We work with a multi-agency approach to make sure we do all we can, working together across the city, to make sure everyone has a happy and safe Pride.
‘We advise people to keep an eye on Pride’s social media platforms for any updates.’
Those travelling by car have been warned that roads could be closed because of the weather.
People are also being warned to be vigilant with the chance of injury from flying debris from the sea, buildings, such as falling roof tiles, and temporary structures.
Conditions are predicted to slightly improve later in the day, but will remain breezy with showers still likely.
Saturday’s Met Office forecast for Brighton says: ‘Widespread rain throughout the day, heavy and possibly thundery at times.
‘Rain easing slightly into the evening, slowly clearing eastwards overnight. Strong coastal winds throughout the day.’
This year’s Brighton Pride has endured a number of obstacles, with many also likely to miss out due to rail services being cancelled on Saturday.
Trains to and from the city will not be running on August 5 – the main day of the UK’s biggest LGBTQ+ event.
Paul Kemp, the managing director of Pride, said the decision came as a ‘huge shock’ and was ‘truly devastating news for everyone’.
He said: ‘Many Pride visitors have already booked and paid for Saturday night accommodation locally. They will now have to change plans or find an alternative way to get into the city.’
Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) said it was with a ‘heavy heart’ that services will not be running for Pride because of an overtime ban, which means they cannot provide extra trains.
The rail company criticised Aslef, the train drivers’ union behind the week-long overtime ban for its members, who in turn said GTR in-fact only had themselves to blame for not employing enough drivers.
Despite the lack of trains, there are still ways to get to Brighton Pride via a combination of different rail lines and buses.
For the second day of Brighton Pride on Sunday, Met Office forecasters say we will likely see a ‘mix of scattered showers and occasional sunny spells’.
Trains are also fully running as normal on Sunday.
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