2LT International News
South Florida hit by thunderstorms, flights, music festival disrupted
Mar 28, 2024
MIAMI, Florida: During the busy spring break season, severe thunderstorms in South Florida disrupted flights at Miami International Airport.
The extreme weather also affected a popular electronic music festival, the Ultra Music Festival, and a high-profile tennis tournament, the Miami Open.
According to the National Airspace System Status, the thunderstorms that hit South Florida on March 22 evening delayed departures at Miami International for hours the next day.
The airport was experiencing record spring break traffic this season, averaging 170,000 passengers daily this month.
“Inclement weather may impact operations on March 23. If you are traveling, please get in touch with your airline for the latest flight updates,” the airport wrote on X.
Due to lightning and strong winds, organizers of the Ultra Music Festival held in a downtown Miami park, where 55,000 attendees were expected to attend over three days, canceled it early on March 22 night.
“For your safety, Ultra Friday is temporarily shutting down. Please calmly leave the park now,” the organizers wrote on social media.
Rain and strong winds also delayed the start of the day at the Miami Open by six hours and forced the cancellation of scheduled play early in the evening.
