- Battle to go ahead whatever the weather
- Gallery: The Town Parade returns
- Comment: Read what the JEP thinks below
- Would rain put you off going to the Battle? Take part in our poll
THE Battle of Flowers parade will go ahead even if there are torrential downpours, but there could be some changes to the timings when floats enter the arena tomorrow morning, the event organisers say.
Thunderstorms are expected this evening and tomorrow morning, with up to 20 mm of rain potentially falling overnight, but forecasters expect the rain to clear in time for the beginning of the Battle.
And with the Island’s signature parade never having been cancelled in its 113-year history, event organiser Jackie Donald says there are no plans to call off the event.
‘We are going to be Battling on, regardless of the weather,’ she said.
‘It has never been postponed and with the signs that the weather is meant to be getting better for the start of the parade, it will be going ahead.
Keep up to date with the latest Battle weather here
‘At the moment all the floats are due to be arriving at Millbrook Park by 7.30 am, but there might be some changes as we get updates from the Met Office.
‘We will be meeting later on today and we will keep everyone informed as we get more infoMet Office forecaster Mark Le Cornu said that he was hopeful that there would be sunshine for tomorrow afternoon’s parade.
‘We have our fingers crossed that by the time the Battle starts the sun will be coming through,’ he said.
‘It’s not a certainty, but we are reasonably hopeful that this will be the case.’
Mr Le Cornu added that the outlook also looked positive for the Moonlight Parade on Friday.
‘It is likely to be dry, with all the rain having cleared by early evening,’ he said.
‘It will feel a little fresher, though.’
Yesterday afternoon Miss Battle, Chantelle Mundy, and Miss Junior Battle, Rachel Jones, led the Battle of Flowers Town Parade through the streets of St Helier.
The event, which returned for the first time in 12 years, also featured the Dolphin Marching Band, a local dance troupe and the carnival’s mascot, the Battle Bee.
Last held in 2003, the procession has traditionally acted as a prelude to the two main carnivals later in the week.
SPARE a thought for all those volunteers who will be working though the night to get the Battle of Flowers floats ready for tomorrow’s parade.
The months, weeks and days of hard work and volunteering will culminate in a frantic race to ensure that all is prepared for tomorrow.
Nothing quite brings the community together in the same way and the friendly and good-spirited banter and parish rivalry all add to the excitement.
If you cannot spare an hour or two to help out at your local Battle shed this evening, at least keep your fingers crossed that the forecasted rain clears in time for the carnival and makes all of their hard work worthwhile.
