Wimbledon organisers prepare for the heat as temperatures soar
Wimbledon organisers are confident they have the necessary precautions in place to cope with a day one heatwave.
It is forecast to be one of the hottest June days ever in parts of the UK, with temperatures expected to well exceed 30C in SW19.
A heat rule is likely to be in place for the players, meaning an extra 10-minute break between sets two and three in women's singles and three and four in men's singles, but it could also be a difficult day for fans and officials.
Chief executive Sally Bolton said: 'Obviously it's a very warm day. The first obvious point to make is that the athletes compete in temperatures like this all year on the tour. For us Brits here at the championships it feels very hot. We do have the heat rule available to us, which is well used on the tour.'
Heat stress readings, measuring air temperature, surface temperature and humidity, will be taken at three points during the day, with the heat rule instigated if the reading goes behind 30.1C.
'Beyond that we've got protocols in place for the ball boys and ball girls on court,' continued Bolton. 'They've got cooling scarves, we'll be rotating them more if we feel we need to.
'For colleagues working around the grounds we've got plenty of changes in shift patterns to make sure they're getting regular breaks.
We're not used to these sort of temperatures but we're absolutely ready for it and actually delighted that it's sunny and not wet like it was last year.
'And for the guests that will be joining us we're offering the same advice as lots of the medical professionals – come prepared, bring a hat, wear sunscreen, wear light clothing if you can, take breaks out of the sun.
'We've got over 100 water points around the grounds so definitely stay hydrated, and keep an eye on your friends and others around you.
'If people look like they're suffering a little bit from heat stress, we've got a really significantly sized medical team here so we've got people to help if that's needed.
'We're not used to these sort of temperatures but we're absolutely ready for it and actually delighted that it's sunny and not wet like it was last year.'
One big change at the tournament this year will be the absence of line judges, with all courts now exclusively using electronic line calling.
The decision has not gone down well in the officiating community and with traditionalists, and Bolton insisted it is not a money-saving exercise.
'The technology investment we've had to make to deliver ELC is not insignificant,' she said. 'I think it will be a little bit different and I think it will take us all a little bit of time to get used to that but we felt very much that it was time to move on.'
Fans attending on the first couple of days at least will have a bumper selection of British players to follow, with 23 in action across the main singles draws, the most since 1984.
Numbers in the queue in Monday morning were so high that by 10am organisers were recommending for people intending to join it not to travel.
'I'm sure that the number of Brits in the draw is contributing to that general excitement,' added Bolton.
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