BEIJING, CHINA - WEATHER forecasters predicted thunder and rain in Beijing on the day of the Olympic opening ceremony and warned that typhoons could disrupt events in other host cities.

Organisers have repeatedly said rain is their biggest worry ahead of Friday's opening ceremony, which will feature more than 10,000 performers and a massive fireworks display.

But top officials from the Beijing Meteorological Bureau confirmed that bad weather was certain for the August 8, although they held out hope that the skies may clear for the evening ceremony.

'Specifically on the 8th, the weather in Beijing will be cloudy and overcast and we will see some rain showers and thunder showers.'

She said that forecasting technology was not accurate enough to predict exactly when rain would actually fall on any particular day or whether it would disrupt the evening opening ceremony.

'It is impossible to tell at what time the rain will fall on August 8, but we cannot exclude that there will be periodic rain then,' she told a press conference.

As for typhoons, she said that two or three were expected to blow in from the Pacific Ocean during the August 8-24 Games and that they would be tracked and monitored throughout the period.

The storms could hit Hong Kong, affecting the staging of the Olympic equestrian events there, and could also disrupt parts of the Olympic football tournament that is being staged in coastal Shanghai.

Ms Wang also said that the port city of Qingdao in northeastern China, where the Olympic sailing competition is being held, could also be affected.

However, she said any disruption that the typhoons could bring to the Olympic events would be contained.

'Normally a typhoon can affect an area for one or two days,' she said. 'It would not have a long-term effect but would only have an effect for a limited period.' -- AFP