Could it be too hot to play at Wimbledon?
The All England Club has opened its gates for another year of tennis championship with fans set to be greeted by record temperatures.
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Wimbledon will see temperatures of around 34C on Monday for what has been reported as the hottest ever first day of the grass court grand slam.
The men’s and women’s singles tournament has begun in earnest. Emma Raducanu will play fellow Brit Mimi Xu on Court One from 1pm, as the day approaches its peak, while defending champion (and Raducanu’s friend) Carlos Alcarz opens Centre Court from 1.30pm.
As well as the London Fire Brigade flagging the risk of wildfires, London Underground has advised passengers to carry a bottle of water.
Here are the details as Wimbledon hots up.
Could it ever be too hot to play at Wimbledon?
Unlike with the rain, it seems unlikely that a day of play would be suspended by officials but they have a heat rule.
If either player needs a break of ten minutes they can request one if the temperatures moves past 30.1°C. The rule will apply after the second set for all best of three set matches, and after the third for all best of five set matches.
A statement added: "Adverse weather is a key consideration in our planning for The Championships, and we are prepared for the predicted hot weather, with comprehensive plans in place for guests, players, staff and the BBGs."
What is the record temperature for Wimbledon?
The hottest ever day of play at Wimbledon was almost exactly 10 years ago, on July 1, 2015, when it was 35.7C. The heat saw a ball boy faint that year while Australian maverick Bernard Tomic was forced to call for treatment due to dizziness.
Tomic had criticised the rule which effectively allows women breaks at an earlier point in the match. “It’s a bit interesting how the women have a different rule applied to them with the heat,” he said. “Is it fair or not? Who am I to say? I don’t know. It’s a tough one.”
What is the British temperature record?
England reached a record 40.3C on July 19, 2022. The previous record had been 38.7C from 2019 and 38.5C in 2003. On the same date in 2022 Wales and Scotland hit 37.1C and 34C respectively.