Dangerous Heat Wave Forces Wimbledon Organizers to Offer Breaks From Play

By Kevin Byrne, AccuWeather.com Staff Writer

June 30,2015; 11:36PM,EDT

 

 

Heat and humidity are gripping England as the 2015 Wimbledon Tournament continues. Organizers initiated heat rules that allow female athletes to take 10-minute breaks upon request. Emergency plans are also being put in place to help treat any fans or athletes suffering from heat exhaustion.
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"Heat will be a significant factor to the tournament as the highest temperature of the year has already occurred on Tuesday," AccuWeather Meteorologist Eric Leister said. "Then, it will be even warmer on Wednesday with continued unseasonable warmth into the first weekend of the tournament."
Spectators keep cool from the sun with fans at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships in Wimbledon, London, Tuesday June 30, 2015. (AP Photo/Tim Ireland)
On Monday, the first day of tournament play, nearly 100 fans required medical attention due to heat, according to The Independent. The outlet also reported that Wimbledon officials are reducing the number of spectators that can gain entry to the grounds due to the heat.
By Wednesday, temperatures will climb into the lower 30s C (near 90 F), Leister said. The all-time highest temperature recorded during Wimbledon play is 34.6 C (94.3 F) in 1976, according to BBC Weather.
Temperatures reached 30.3 (87 F) at London's Heathrow Airport on Tuesday. A high temperature near 21 C (70 F) is common for this time of year.
While Centre Court has a retractable roof, the other 19 championship courts and 22 practice courts at the All England Club remain open to the elements, thus leaving the start and completion times of some matches in the hands of Mother Nature.
The WTA heat rule which allows for female athletes to request a 10-minute break between the second and third set may come into play during matches over the next several days. The rule is implemented based on a combination of air temperature, humidity and surface temperature.
According to Wimbledon's official website, the rule has been implemented only twice before during the tournament, in 2006 and 2009.
No similar rule exists for men on the ATP World Tour at this time.
Roger Federer of Switzerland stretches to play a return to Novak Djokovic of Serbia during their men's singles final match at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships at Wimbledon, London, Sunday, July, 6, 2014. (AP Photo/Toby Melville, Pool)
Last year, rain caused disruptions and postponements during the early rounds of the tournament.
Wimbledon says that since 1922, only seven tournaments have experienced no weather delays. The last rain-free tournament came in 2010.
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According to Tennis Channel Analyst Justin Gimelstob, "When the roof closes, Wimbledon becomes an indoor event with a completely controlled environment, no sun nor wind which favors the more aggressive player."
On Wimbledon's grass courts, the ball will be slower and heavier with cold, damp conditions as opposed to lighter and faster on warm, dry days.
In an effort to continue to reduce the amount of weather delays, Wimbledon is currently adding a retractable roof to Court 1, with completion expected for 2019.