Wimbledon draws up emergency measures to deal with extreme heat

All England Tennis Club takes action to combat record temperatures, but refuses to close Centre Court roof

Hot weather on Murray Mount at Wimbledon
Hot weather on Murray Mount at Wimbledon Credit: Photo: Heathcliff O'Malley/The Telegraph

Wimbledon organisers are drawing up emergency plans to treat heat-exhausted fans and players amid fears that temperatures this week could rise to 100F (38C).

Temperatures at the All England Club are due to hit 30C today, but they could climb even further on Wednesday and Thursday. The hottest ever temperature at the tournament was 34.6C on June 26, 1976.

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Wimbledon spokesman Johnny Perkins said: "St John's Ambulance will provide extra staff if needed and we also have our own first aid facilities.

"Fans should drink plenty of water and apply sunscreen. We have water fountains and bottled water can be brought into the grounds."

Hot weather at Wimbledon (Heathcliff O'Malley/The Telegraph)

When Wimbledon temperatures hit 30C - cooler than this week's forecast - on the day Andy Murray won the 2013 final, 79 fans needed first aid for dehydration, heat exhaustion and sunburn.

Met Office forecaster Marco Petagna said: "London is expected to be the hottest place as heat peaks, so Wimbledon has a 30 per chance of exceeding 36C.

"There could be heat stress for players and fans. The Centre Court roof could provide shade, but not the outside courts."

But officials have ruled out closing the roof on Centre Court, despite lowering it to provide shade over the Royal Box in 2009.

A spokesman said: “The Championships is an outdoor daytime event. Therefore, in good weather, the roof will only be used if it is too dark to play on without it

A ball boy shelters American player Dustin Brown

The All England Tennis Club is under pressure to avoid a repeat of last year’s Australian Open debacle in Melbourne, when searing temperatures led to players collapsing and sparked criticism from fans and health experts alike.

Now there are fears something similar could happen in south west London, with players and spectators suffering heat-stroke and dehydration in the extreme heat.

UV levels are also expected to hit potentially dangerous highs, the Met Office said, with the event's organisers urging spectators to use sunscreen and wear a hat.

Fans soak up the sun

"Fans should drink plenty of water and apply sunscreen. We have water fountains and bottled water can be brought into the grounds."

Thermometers in SW19 are set to hit 18C (64.4F) when the tournament begins at 11am today (Monday) and will peak at 32C (89.6F on Wednesday - comparable with Dubai.

Great Britain's Johanna Konta has been handed a Centre Court slot for her Wimbledon first-round match against former champion Maria Sharapova – on what could be the hottest day of the year.

Australian-born Konta, 24, who reached the quarter-finals of Eastbourne, takes on the 2004 Wimbledon winner and number four seed in the second match on the main show court.

Hot weather at Wimbledon (Paul Grover/The Telegraph)

Their tussle follows the tradition of the men's champion opening play on Centre Court.

Centre Court’s roof was partially closed to provide much-needed shade in 2009, as thermometers registered temperatures of 92F (33.4C) inside the 15,000 seat show court.

But the decision to extend it just a few feet over the Royal Box, where Prince Michael of Kent, the chief executive of the Rugby Football Union Francis Baron and Bruce Forsyth were sitting, led to allegations of special treatment.

Extreme heat was a feature of last year’s Australian Open in Melbourne, as temperatures soared above 100F (37.7C)

The roasting on-court temperatures saw a raft of player meltdowns, with Frank Dancevic, Shaui Peng, Ivan Dodig, Varvara Lepchenko, Galina Voskoboeva and Jamie Murray suffering the most severe reactions.

Canadian Dancevic was treated by the side of the court after he collapsed during his first-round defeat at the hands of Benoit Paire, from France.

Hot weather at Wimbledon (Paul Grover/The Telegraph)

But while the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) has strict guidelines for dealing with extreme heart, the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), which governs the men’s game, still has none.

That is despite ATP chief executive Chris Kermode’s admission that the body’s guidelines were “too vague”.

“We need to make sure that players are very clear when they step onto the court about what temperature means the roof goes on or a game is stopped,” he said.

Wimbledon officials have been left to draw up their own rules for both sexes, based in part on WTA protocols.

According to the AELTA rulebook, a 10-minute break between the second and third set is permissible “when the heat stress index is at or above 30.1 degrees Celsius.”

However, such measures only applies to ladies’ and girls’ singles matches that have not yet been called to court.

Only one of the players participating in the match needs to request the break for the rule to be implemented.

The heat stress index is a measure which factors together the air temperature, the humidity and the surface temperature and is measured by a heat stress monitor.

Readings are taken 30 minutes prior to the start of play and then at 2pm and 5pm.

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