Republican convention in Tampa postponed due to tropical storm Isaac

Modern political campaigns are tightly controlled events but no one can control the weather and a storm barrelling towards Tampa has forced the cancellation of the first day of the Republican party's national convention.

Tropical storm Isaac is expected to develop into a hurricane and sweep up Florida's western coastline on Sunday night and Monday morning, missing Tampa directly but dumping heavy rain and causing a storm surge across the low-lying swampy region.

As a result Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus issued a statement nixing the first day of events and throwing a spanner in the carefully choreographed process that will officially nominate Mitt Romney for president.

Priebus said the convention would briefly meet on Monday and then reconvene for Tuesday, leaving Florida's emergency services to face the storm without the huge event going on.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/aug/26/republican-convention-tropical-storm-isaac