Notre Dame football appears to have found its groove on offense in its Week 4 game vs. Purdue after a disappointing 0-2 start to the season.
The Fighting Irish’s come out party, however, has been impacted by an unwelcomed visit from Mother Nature.
At the 1:31 mark in the second quarter at Notre Dame Stadium with the Boilermakers driving on offense, game action was suspended for a lightning delay due to lightning in the nearby South Bend, Indiana area.
Notre Dame is currently leading Purdue 28-13 in the second quarter. CJ Carr has completed 3 of 4 passes for 94 yards and a touchdown thus far for Notre Dame, while Jeremiyah Love and Jardarian Price have scored a combined three rushing touchdowns.
Here’s the latest weather updates for ND-Purdue:
Notre Dame-Purdue weather updates: Latest on Fighting Irish vs Boilermakers
All times Eastern
6:09 p.m.: NBC’s Zora Stephenson reported that the plan for ND-Purdue is to send both teams back onto the field at 6:40 p.m. ET with the game resuming at 6:50 p.m. ET. This, of course, is barring another lightning strike in the area, as that would have to reset the clock another 30 minutes.
Stephenson also mentioned that the lightning delay will serve as the traditional halftime break since both teams will take a ‘quick’ break going into the third quarter after they finish the remaining 1:31 of the first half.
5:50 p.m.: In a 5:36 p.m. ET update, the University of Notre Dame’s official X (formerly Twitter) account, mentioned for fans to remain in shelter as the patch that is moving through South Bend has rain and lightning. No timetable yet on when Saturday’s game can resume.
5:36 p.m.: Meteorologist Krysten Tyler of ABC South Bend ABC57 is reporting that storms will not leave the South Bend area until around 6:30 p.m. ET, or even after that. A lengthy lightning delay could be in storm for ND and Purdue at Notre Dame Stadium.
5:31 p.m.: NBC’s in-studio showed rain coming down at Notre Dame Stadium as Notre Dame-Purdue is in a lightning delay. The studio show also mentioned that the lightning delay will serve as the ‘halftime’ for the game, as both teams will play the remaining 1:31 of the second quarter before a ‘brief timeout’ between the second and third quarters compared to taking to another extended break for a traditional halftime.
5:10 p.m.: Notre Dame vs. Purdue has entered a lightning delay at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana.
NCAA lightning delay policy
The NCAA notes that if a lightning strike is seen or heard within at least six miles of an outdoor stadium, then the game must be halted for a lightning delay. Though a lightning delay’s length of time starts at 30 minutes, the total time of a lightning delay can vary because for every strike that follows the initial strike, that 30-minute clock is reset.
‘To resume athletics activities, lightning safety experts recommend waiting 30 minutes after both the last sound of thunder and after the last flash of lightning is at least six miles away, and moving away from the venue. If lightning is seen without hearing thunder, lightning may be out of range and therefore less likely to be a significant threat. At night, be aware that lightning can be visible at a much greater distance than during the day as clouds are being lit from the inside by lightning. This greater distance may mean that the lightning is no longer a significant threat. At night, use both the sound of thunder and seeing the lightning channel itself to decide on when to reset the 30-minute return-to-play clock before resuming outdoor athletics activities.’
Notre Dame-Purdue weather forecast: Hour-by-hour forecast for South Bend, Indiana
According to The Weather Channel, inclement weather is expected to stay in the South Bend, Indiana area until around 7 p.m. ET.
Here’s an hour-by-hour breakdown of the weather forecast in South Bend for Notre Dame-Purdue:
- 5 p.m. ET: Thunderstorms (95% chance of rain)
- 6 p.m. ET: Thunderstorms (86% chance of rain)
- 7 p.m. ET: Cloudy (23% chance of rain)
- 8 p.m. ET: Cloudy (15% chance of rain)
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