Formula E’s paddock has been evacuated following a severe thunderstorm ahead of this weekend’s Tokyo E-Prix.
Following multiple dry days of scorching temperatures, a heavy storm arrived on Friday afternoon, a few hours ahead of first practice at the Tokyo Big Sight.
Thunder and lightning close to the circuit triggered the evacuation, with everyone in the paddock sheltering inside the Big Sight exhibition centre.
It was soon followed by torrential rain, reported at up to 80 mm per hour in places. The sky rapidly darkened and the temperature cooled, having sat in the mid-30s for the majority of the week.
An alert read in the media centre: “Due to the current weather conditions, the event is temporarily paused. For safety reasons, please remain in the media centre. We are monitoring this constantly and will provide further updates.”
It marks a second consecutive Formula E event where the paddock has been evacuated, with a similar situation having unfolded earlier this month in Shanghai.
Asia is renowned for torrential storms in July, and it is widely expected in the paddock that further wet weather will play a role over the weekend.
Several Formula E drivers have questioned the decision to race in Japan in July due to both the high temperatures and the frequency of storms.
As things stand, first practice at 11:00 BST (19:00 local time) will go ahead as scheduled, with no decision yet made on delays or a possible cancellation.
AloJapan.com