Watch: Sudden downpour forces Elton John off stage

Elton John

A sudden burst of torrential rain at an Australian gig saw the popular piano man abandoning his stool and racing for cover.

Elton John was performing at the Rochford Winery in Melbourne and was roughly one hour and forty minutes into his set when the unexpected downpour forced him to cancel the remainder of the show.

Before the rain the temperature in Melbourne had been sitting at 44C, making it one of Melbourne's hottest days this year.

It was so hot that a sweaty John commented, "F**k it's hot," at the end of his opening number, Bennie and the Jets.

The weather broke during a performance of the song Funeral for a Friend and, ironically, followed a video of a storm that had been playing on the big screen during the song.

As the rain began to pour John attempted to continue as a roadie tried to shield him with a makeshift cover.

However John quickly realised that the sun had indeed gone down on him and he left the stage. The gig was cancelled shortly after.

Let's hope it's fairer weather when John performs his New Zealand tour later this month.