WeatherFanatics: Warm, Dry at Wimbledon Through Thursday

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Warm, Dry at Wimbledon Through Thursday

By Eric Leister, Meteorologist

June 24,2014; 9:12PM,EDT

The Wimbledon Championships began on Monday in London, and dry weather welcomed the players on day one.
The first day featured partly to mostly sunny skies with highs reaching 26 C (78 F). The normal high in London during this time of the year is near 21 C (70 F).
A large area of high pressure remains centered west of the United Kingdom, forcing any stormy weather to the north and east of London through Wednesday.
Temperatures on Tuesday climbed to near 24 C (75 F) with a mixture of clouds and sunshine.

It will be several degrees cooler on Wednesday, but still seasonably warm with partly sunny skies.
Tennis Channel analyst Justin Gimelstob stated, "The warmer weather translates to faster conditions due to lighter air and the ball moving through the air quicker."
"When the weather is warm, especially for long stretches, the courts get harder and the balls bounce higher creating a dynamic where the ball picks up speed upon contact with the court surface," according to Gimelstob.
Seasonably warm, dry weather is expected to continue through at least Thursday as high pressure remains in control.
High pressure will then shift to the southwest later in the week allowing a storm system to bring the threat of showers and perhaps even a thunderstorm to the area.

Andy Murray of Britain kisses the trophy as he poses for photographers after winning against Novak Djokovic of Serbia in the Men's singles final match at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships in Wimbledon, London, Sunday, July 7, 2013. (AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus, Pool)
While much of the precipitation is expected to occur during the afternoons, any rainfall from Friday into Saturday could be enough to cause delays on the outside courts.
The weather looks to remain unsettled at times during the second week of play as a slow-moving storm system continues to spin over the region.
Even though the Centre Court roof will keep matches going through any adverse weather, this also creates a different environment for players.
Gimelstob noted "When the roof closes, Wimbledon becomes an indoor event with a completely controlled environment, no sun, nor wind which favors the more aggressive player."

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