Wimbledon Weather
For two weeks each summer, the focal point of British weather forecasts is SW19. How warm will it be? Will rain stop play? What advice is there for spectators? What happens to hospitality guests?
Sportsworld reveals some of the facts behind Wimbledon weather and what hospitality clients can expect during the Championships.
• Statistically, there is only one Wimbledon washout every four years: on average, one day in every 50 is lost due to all-day rain (see chart below)
Source: Wimbledon Compendium, 2006
• Tournament officials get up-to-the minute local weather forecasts from The London Weather Centre; three forecasts are produced every day and conditions are monitored around the clock
• Wimbledon can often take place during an English summer heatwave. The hottest (unofficial) recorded temperature on Centre Court was 46°C in 1991, and more recently in 2005 competitors played through on-court temperatures over 35°C. It is highly unusual, however, that the ‘heat rule’, whereby it is deemed too hot for play to continue, comes into effect
• 1976 was the hottest Wimbledon on record, when Bjorn Borg recorded his first of five consecutive wins, and the grass courts became very dry
• In recent years, the average daily maximum temperature in London for June is a very pleasant 20°C
• Whether high temperatures or rain are forecast, Sportsworld’s Fairway Village is ideal for gathering with clients and guests; our private garden areas, air-conditioned facilities and marquee linings ensure our clients’ enjoyment is maintained
• We offer umbrellas – whether required as protection for the heat or the rain! – as guests make their way across to the show courts. We also provide bottles of mineral water for guests to keep hydrated in the warm weather, but advise that a hat (cap) and sun cream is carried as an extra precaution
• Many of Sportsworld’s long-standing hospitality clients report that a passing rain shower (something not uncommon at Wimbledon) is advantageous in that it allows for a break from play and the chance to spend a little valuable extra time with their guests
• A new, fully retractable Centre Court roof will ensure that spectators and TV viewers alike will enjoy uninterrupted play from 2009.
• Since 2001, the All England Club has operated a Raincheck policy covering all 13 scheduled days of The Championships, including the final Sunday. In summary, if there is less than one hour’s play, the original purchasers of tickets will be refunded with the full face value of those tickets; if there is more than one hour’s play, but less than two hours’ play, refunds will be limited to half the face value