London braces for scorching heatwave, hottest start to Wimbledon expected

London is likely to experience scorching heatwaves this weekend, with temperatures climbing and peaking on Monday, according to the Met Office. 

Rising temperatures coincide with the start of play at the All England Club on Monday, potentially making it Wimbledon's hottest ever opening.

Warm and humid weekend

A cloudy start is expected on Saturday, particularly in western areas where some rain or drizzle is likely, especially on upslopes, the Met Office said. 

However, the day will see an improvement across much of the UK. A band of cloud and rain is expected to move northward across central UK on Sunday.

Following a sweltering weekend, Monday's temperatures are forecast to hit the mid-30s Celsius. This presents a challenging day for players, organizers, ticket holders, and those in queues. 

The Met Office said in an update:

At 29.3C, the previous record temperature for the beginning of the grass court Grand Slam was recorded in 2001, according to a Reuters report.

Monday's anticipated heatwave is predicted to exceed the 2015 tournament record of 35.7 degrees, a year when on-court temperatures were considerably higher.

A 10-minute break in play will likely be triggered by Wimbledon's heat rule when the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) reaches or exceeds 30.1 degrees Celsius.

The Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) will be measured at three distinct times: prior to the start of play, and subsequently at 14:00 and 17:00. 

This measurement comprehensively considers several environmental variables, including ambient temperature, humidity, wind conditions, and the angle of the sun.

For best-of-three set matches, the rule applies after the second set. In best-of-five set matches, it applies after the third set. 

Players may leave the court during this break but are not permitted to receive coaching or medical treatment.

Impact on quality 

Chris Tyler, an environmental physiology researcher at the University of Roehampton, welcomed the heat rule but noted that the heat could negatively impact the quality of matches.

"It's good that they have a rule that uses the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature but what it doesn't factor in is what the players are doing," Tyler was quoted in the Reuters report.

"Most of the heat risk for players relates to their actual body temperature increasing, 80% of their body temperature is related to what they're doing.

He also suggested that applying iced towels to the back of the neck during changeovers might not be the most effective method for players to cool down.

"It's like a football team giving a pain-killing injection to their star player before a cup final, it makes them feel better but the injury is still there," he said.

He further said that if it was core body temperature that they wanted to bring down, the towels were not really going to do much. 

Tyler added that the feet and the forearms had a lot of blood vessels and cooling them down was quite a good method of heat exchange, and also the groin where they had the femoral artery.

Plans

Wimbledon organisers are implementing precautions to safeguard the general public and staff, including ball boys and girls (BBGs), against the anticipated heat, while elite players are expected to manage these conditions.

A club statement said:

Additional free water refill stations will be available throughout the grounds. Real-time weather alerts will be broadcast on large screens and published on the tournament's website.

To combat the heat, staff shifts will be adjusted, and "shade-mapping" will be implemented to help people find respite from the sun.

Following Monday and Tuesday's extreme heat, temperatures are forecast to fall to the low to mid-20s for the remainder of the week, with a likelihood of rain showers, according to the Met Office.