Australian Open braces for soaring temperatures in Melbourne

MELBOURNE, Jan 27 : Organisers, players and fans alike were bracing for another day of blistering heat at the Australian Open on Tuesday as temperatures were forecast to soar well above 40 degrees Centigrade (104 degrees Fahrenheit) at Melbourne Park.

Queues for entry into the venue were much shorter than usual and crowds were largely absent from concourses across the sprawling venue, where the latest edition of the season's opening Grand Slam has been watched by record numbers.

Play started on the outer courts at 9 a.m. while world number one Aryna Sabalenka kicked off proceedings on Rod Laver Arena against 29th seed Iva Jovic at 11.30 a.m. with temperatures already in the low 30s.

With temperatures expected to continue rising throughout the day and hit the mid-40s, organisers are expected to invoke the tournament's extreme heat policy by early afternoon.

That would bring an immediate suspension to matches on the outer courts while play on the show courts would proceed once roofs have been closed.

Matches in the Wheelchair Championships have been postponed by 24 hours due to the forecast heat with organisers advising fans to bring hats, drink plenty of water and make use of misting fans scattered around Melbourne Park.

Special conditions have also been put in place for tournament staff, with ball kids given shorter spells on court along with increased recovery times and additional relief squads.

The Australian Open operates under an extreme heat policy that considers air temperature, radiant heat, wind speed and humidity to assess playing conditions, allowing officials to delay or suspend matches when thresholds are exceeded.

The tournament's "Heat Stress Scale" is expected to hit five, its highest threshold, early in the day.