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Horrid weather conditions have led to the Miami Grand Prix being moved forward by three hours on Sunday. Due to forecasts of heavy rain and thunderstorms occuring in the area, officials have confirmed the race at the Miami International Autodrome has now been moved from 9pm UK time (4pm local time) to 6pm UK time (1pm local time), following talks.

The decision will theoretically allow for much of the 57-lap race to be finished before the most severe thunderstorm risks the Hard Rock Stadium locality in the late afternoon. According to the latest weather forecasts, it'll be mostly cloudy at the new time of the race with a ‌40% chance of scattered light showers. Temperatures will sit around 26°C.‌

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At 8pm UK time (3pm local time), the risk of severe thunderstorms and lightning shoots to over 90%. Despite attempting to avoid lightning as best as possible, the race remains under a "zero-tolerance" policy, should it emerge in spite of the earlier start. According to Miami state law, if lightning is detected within an eight-mile radius of Hard Rock Cafe Stadium, the race will be immediately red-flagged with all outdoor activity to be immediately suspended.

To accommodate the new time for the F1 race, its support schedule has faced the consequences of the new change. The Porsche Carrera Cup North America race has been cancelled while the Formula 2 Feature Race was moved to an earlier slot of 2.25pm UK time (9.25 local time)

Express F1 Correspondent Daniel Moxon is in Miami for the race and reported the latest update on the weather, revealing visibility is currently heavily restricted. In an update given on Sunday morning, he said: "Lots of rain, thunder and lightning in Miami this morning. I opened my balcony door around 15 mins ago to be greeted by a lightning strike which an online tracing service tells me hit 0.4km away from my hotel.

"The advice is for people to seek shelter. Yesterday, you could see for miles up Miami Beach and towards Miami Gardens, where Hard Rock Stadium and the F1 circuit are. Today, visibility is significantly restricted. It's supposed to die down in the next hour or two, with more storms on the way this afternoon.

"If the weather is like this around 1pm local time (6pm UK), when the rescheduled race is now due to start, it's hard to imagine the action getting underway."