Wimbledon set for scorching start as heatwave looms

LONDON :Wimbledon is braced for its hottest ever start with London set to endure a searing heatwave that is forecast to peak as play begins at the All England Club on Monday.

With the mercury expected to rise into the mid-30s Celsius on Monday after a hot weekend, players, organisers, ticket holders and those queuing face a challenging day.

The previous record temperature for the start of the grass court Grand Slam event was set in 2001 when 29.3C was reached.

Monday's expected blast of heat could even surpass the tournament record of 35.7 degrees in 2015 when on-court temperatures were significantly higher than that.

Wimbledon's heat rule will likely come into force, allowing a 10-minute break in play when the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) is at or above 30.1 degrees Celsius.

The WBGT, which will be taken before the start of play and then at 1400 and 1700, takes various factors into account including ambient temperature, humidity, wind and sun angle.

The rule will apply after the second set for all best of three set matches, and after the third for all best of five set matches with players allowed to leave the court during the break, but not to receive coaching or medical treatment.

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While welcoming the heat rule, Chris Taylor, an environmental physiology researcher at the University of Roehampton, said the heat could affect 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," he told Reuters.

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

"Many players will change the way they play if it's