Cracking the Code: Understanding Weather Risks & Event Cancellations
How do you develop a safe weather-response action plan for your event?
We know it can feel stressful and a little chaotic, as everyone looks to you to make a decision about whether to continue as planned, change your plans or cancel the event entirely.
In this article we share the key steps to understanding weather risks, and how to effectively prepare so you create an event safety plan.
Step 1: Assess the Risks
The first step to weather-proofing your event is to assess the er risks. By understanding the potential weather risks to the success of your event, you can make informed decisions about how to make your event safer.
The event risk assessment process involves thinking about a range of weather conditions and how they could negatively impact your event.
As you progress with your risk assessment, you’ll notice that some weather risks can be considered a minor inconvenience (e.g. light winds) and some will be severe enough to trigger an event cancellation (e.g. sever storms).
How Do You Conduct an Event Risk Assessment?
Consider the complexity and scale of your event
Assess your specific event type and format to determine how the weather might impact it. Is your event a large-scale outdoor festival? Is there cover nearby? Is the ground covered in dirt and grass or concrete? How might weather delay your bump-in schedule? Could the weather make it difficult to continue with some elements of your event program?
Consider the type of infrastructure and equipment at your event
Do you have light-weight freestanding signage and umbrellas that could be easily thrown around by strong wind gusts? Will your marquees withstand heavy rains?
Evaluate the impact of program delays and total event cancellation
Making the decision to postpone or cancel an event is not an easy one. Loss of revenue, the ability to communicate the cancellation with ticket-holders, and coordinating suppliers can feel overwhelming. Think about the process and implications of making those decisions before event day.
Step 2: Define Weather Risk Thresholds
As you progress through your event risk assessment, you’ll soon notice that you need to decide which specific weather risks are considered manageable, and which weather scenarios pose greater threats to public safety and event success.
Think about it like this: So, you’ve got a forecast of rain?
Your decision-making isn’t just about whether or not to pack an umbrella – it's about recognising that different weather elements pose diverse levels of threat. While a “light drizzle” might be shrugged off as a nuisance, a “severe storm” could threaten the stability of outdoor structures, and “lightning” brings dangerous electrical currents to the sky.
What is a “Weather Risk Threshold”?
The weather risk threshold defines the specific change in weather conditions that shift the potential risk consequences from minor to severe.
For example: you might decide that “light rain and winds” will trigger a program cancellation of dance performances only, whereas “severe storm with strong winds and lightening” will trigger a full event cancellation. It’s all about creating clear guidelines to help you and your team develop clear plan of action on event day.
Still not sure how to define your own weather risk thresholds? → Start here
“The Event Risk Management Kit saved me days of stress and helped me create a safety plan for my event client.” – Jonno, Event Freelancer
Step 3: Weather-Proof Your Events
Whether it's a large-scale outdoor music concert or an end of year company picnic, knowing when to pause or proceed is the key to making your event is a smashing success.
So how do you weather-proof your event plans?
Weather Monitoring
Stay one step ahead by keeping a close eye on weather forecasts. Consulting reputable meteorologist sites and learning how to read detailed weather forecasts puts you at a great advantage. By correctly understanding and assessing the weather forecast, you’ll be better placed to quickly respond if the weather changes unexpectedly.
Risk Assessment
Just like a chess master thinks several moves ahead, it’s your job to assess potential risks before they become real issues. Don’t leave it to chance. Create a weather risk action plan as a part of your overall event risk management.
Communication is Key
Have a plan to keep your team, contractors and attendees in the loop. If you foresee potential weather disruptions, communicate your plans and alternative arrangements as soon as possible. This proactive approach will earn you gratitude and respect from everybody involved.
Have a Plan B
Always have a backup plan. I’m going to repeat this for those not paying attention: always have a backup plan! If your event is outdoors, have a contingency plan for your event activity and try to consider indoor alternatives. Flexibility is your best weapon against unexpected weather twists.
Consult the Experts
Don't use guess work. Consult with weather experts, meteorologists, and event experts like me! Our insights and expertise can prove invaluable in making the right plan ahead of time, so your situational response is calm and controlled.
Let’s Work Together:
I’m not your event manager — I’m your event manager’s expert. Think business coach, but for events. I don’t run your events; I make you better at running them.
Looking for guidance? → See 1:1 CoachingSafety First
Above all, prioritise safety. Remember, a little rain won't hurt, but ignoring safety risks might. Always err on the side of caution when making weather-related decisions.
Learn from Experience
Each event is a learning opportunity. Take notes on how weather impacts your event and refine your approach for the next time. Experience is your greatest teacher.
Event Cancellation Insurance
Loss of profits is likely to be a big concerns when cancelling or postponing an event. It is heart-breaking, and overwhelming to think of the loss of potential revenue. Having event cancellation insurance in place might be an option if you’re running an outdoor event.
Want more practical event planning tips? Bookmark these extra guides.
How to Build an Event Day Timeline
Leveraging ChatGPT in Event Planning: New Ways to Creativity & Efficiency
Final Thought: Stay Calm, Stay Prepared
You can’t control the weather, but you can control your plan
Weather will always be one of the biggest unknowns in event planning, but it doesn’t have to be your biggest stress. With a clear action plan, defined risk thresholds, and strong communication, you can turn uncertainty into structure and lead with confidence when conditions change.
The truth is, attendees and stakeholders don’t expect you to control the weather. What they do expect is that you’ll have a safe, thought-through response ready to go. When you prepare for the “what ifs” in advance, you free yourself up to stay calm, make clear decisions, and protect both your event and your reputation.
Every safe event day is proof that preparation pays off — and that’s the mark of a professional planner.
👉 Ready to create your own weather-response plan? Get the Event Risk Management Kit — trusted by planners worldwide to save time, reduce stress, and keep events safe.
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Meet Your Mentor
Hi, I’m Rachella — founder of Event Kit, and an Event Consultant with 25+ years of experience running world-class festivals and public events. I started Event Kit because I knew there had to be a better way. These are the tools and tips I wish I’d had when I was starting out, and now I’m sharing them with you.
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