Wimbledon has encouraged guests to stay hydrated and keep safe under the sun as guests gear up for what is expected to be the hottest day of the championships so far.
Temperatures could reach as high as 34C at the south-west London grand slam grounds on Monday, and are not expected to dip much below 30C for the remainder of the tournament, according to a Met Office forecast.
Guests milling around the grounds fanned themselves to keep cool and watched matches under parasols in the absence of any shade in the stands.
All England Club chief executive Sally Bolton insisted Wimbledon is prepared for the spike in temperatures, with plans in place to protect guests, staff and players in the heat.
She told reporters: “We’ve had a bit of practise, particularly last year, but over the week before the championships (as well), and we’ve got our usual measures in place.
“There’s the heat rule present for the players, although I think, looking at the temperatures, we don’t anticipate getting close to that over these next few days.”
Wimbledon’s heat rule allows for a 10-minute break during a match when the wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) reaches 30.1C or higher.
The rule applies after the second set for all best-of-three-set matches, and after the third for all best-of-five-set matches.
Players may leave the court during the break, but cannot receive coaching or medical treatment.
There are also plans in place to protect staff, ball boys and ball girls – who often spend long periods in full sunshine, including shorter shifts and longer breaks.
Ms Bolton said: “They’re quite well tried and tested processes to support everyone here in the tournament to enjoy themselves once it starts to heat up.
“The message is the same to the fans attending – we’ve got multiple free water points around the ground, so please stay hydrated, cover up, make sure you bring your sunscreen, and make sure you enjoy the day.”
A yellow heat health alert issued by the UK Health Security Agency covering areas including London is in place until 8pm on Saturday.
Met Office spokesperson Andrea Bishop said grand slam guests will experience “increasingly hot and sunny conditions” as the week progresses.
She said: “Temperatures are expected to reach the low 30s at the start of the week before climbing further later on, and with light winds and prolonged sunshine it is likely to feel particularly warm both on and around the courts.
“Anyone attending the championships should come prepared for the heat by staying hydrated, seeking shade where possible and keeping an eye on UV and pollen levels.”
Military stewards, who help look after the public at the championships, will be on hand to support guests as the weather heats up.
The volunteers are trained in how to keep people safe in the heat to prevent sunstroke and have free sun cream to hand out to guests.
Last week, Corporal Gillian Craig said the stewards are in a “good position” to keep an eye on the crowd, adding: “If someone goes down, we would know what to do.”
La Roche-Posay was recently announced as the exclusive sun care supplier for Wimbledon, and the skincare brand expects to hand out 500,000 sunscreen samples during the tournament, it said in a press release.
In total, half a million people are expected to attend the tournament over its two weeks.
During last year’s championships, play had to be stopped several times during matches – including the men’s singles semi-final – because of medical emergencies in the crowd, amid temperatures similar to those forecast this week.
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