KINGSTON, Jamaica – With thousands expected to flock the National Stadium for the annual Independence Grand Gala on Sunday, Jamaicans are being advised to prepare for hot weather conditions currently enveloping the island.

“We just want to encourage everybody coming to the Gala, walk with your water [and] hydrate from days before so that you can sustain [yourselves],” Executive Director of the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC), Lenford Salmon, said during a recent Jamaica Information Service (JIS) ‘Think Tank’.

In a release on Thursday, Salmon noted that while the sun will not be out at 5:30 pm, at the start of the Gala, “it’s still [going to be] hot” and, as such, individuals should take the necessary precautions.

“Come well hydrated. Come prepared for the heat… walk with your portable fan”, he emphasised, adding that there will also be vendors on site selling water.

Salmon informed that the hot weather has already impacted rehearsals for the Independence Day celebrations indicating that “usually, we would have been rehearsing from 10:00 am straight back [into the evening; however, we have had to curtail that. Our rehearsals start now at 2:00 pm and we go up until about 7:00 or 8:00 pm, simply because we don’t believe we can keep the kids out in the sun for the entire day.”

The Grand Gala is the highlight of Jamaica’s 61st Independence anniversary, being celebrated under the theme ‘Jamaica 61… Proud and Strong’.

The event is free to the public. However, individuals must have a ticket to enter the National Stadium.

Individuals who do not have tickets may choose to view the Gala via a big screen that will be set up at the Independence Village next to the stadium.

The show will also be live on television and streamed on social media platforms islandwide and globally.