MADISON, Wis. -- Organizers of Rhythm & Booms said they intend to hold the fireworks event Saturday even though showers or thunderstorms are in the forecast for the afternoon.

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They said they expect the weather for Saturday evening during the fireworks to be clear. They said the best chance for showers is from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday.

Organizers recommended that people who come to Warner Park bring rain jackets or tarps to stay dry.

Madison officials said that the thousands of people who turn out to Rhythm & Booms should also be prepared to face a lot of mosquitoes.

More than 250,000 people are expected to enjoy music, food and games at Warner Park Saturday. The sky will be lit up with fireworks at dusk, with music continuing until 11:30 p.m.

But city officials said that due to recent excessive rains and flooding, the mosquito population has spiked to extremely high levels.

Officials said that mosquito monitoring traps were catching less than 50 mosquitoes per trap per night before the spike in mosquitoes. But the monitoring done on Monday yielded 3,750 mosquitoes per trap. After last fall's flooding, the traps were averaging about 200 mosquitoes per trap per night, officials said.

Experts said the monitoring efforts showed that most of the mosquitoes are floodwater mosquitoes, which bite humans but are not generally considered a carrier of West Nile virus.

Officials said that although the numbers of the type of mosquito that is more likely to carry West Nile virus are small, people should take standard precautions to prevent mosquito bites. Officials recommended that people protect themselves by using mosquito repellents and protective clothing.

Officials said people should also come prepared for wet, soft ground at Warner Park and bring something to sit on to stay dry.

City officials are also urging people to be patient with all the traffic for the event and to try to park farther away from Warner Park to help cut down on traffic congestion in the area.

For a list of what to bring and what to leave at home for Rhythm & Booms, visit this Web site.

For more information on avoiding mosquito bites, click here.