It's ANOTHER weekend washout! Wimbledon fans are urged to pack an umbrella as heavy downpours threaten to disrupt matches after Met Office issued thunderstorm warning for the South
Wimbledon fans were urged to pack an umbrella as heavy downpours threaten to disrupt today's matches after the Met Office issued a thunderstorm warning for the south of England.
Wimbledon was a sea of umbrellas this morning as disappointed fans prepared for a day of closed courts and murky weather on day six of the Championship.
It comes after a thunderstorm warning has been issued for the south of England as Britons brace for heavy rain and highs of 68F (21C) this weekend.
Play at Wimbledon started as planned at 11am but was suspended across all courts just 30 minutes later as downpours descended on south-west London. Play started to resume at 12.30pm and the first match to get underway was between Lorenzo Sonego James Duckworth.
Covers on the courts came off just before 1pm, with play resuming shortly afterwards.
Tennis spectators hoping to attend Wimbledon or football fans planning to congregate in pubs or fan zones for England's Euro 2020 match against Ukraine could be lashed by the wet weather.
Photographs from inside The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club show hundreds of umbrellas as spectators made sure to pack their brollies for the changeable weather forecast.
The Met Office has issued a yellow thunderstorm warning for much of central England on Saturday, while a similar warning of heavy rain is in place for large swathes of the South West.
Wimbledon was a sea of umbrellas this morning as fans prepared for a day of closed courts and murky weather on day six of the Championship
Photographs from inside The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club show hundreds of umbrellas as spectators made sure to pack their brollies for the changeable weather forecast
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The weather alerts warn that people could see flooding to homes and businesses, delays or cancellations to transport services and a danger that communities may become 'cut-off'.
Temperatures will peak at 68F (21C) today before dropping to the mid-teens tomorrow and into next week.
Tom Morgan, a Met Office forecaster, said: 'We have two yellow weather warnings in place, the first covering the South West of England including parts of Cornwall, Devon and Bristol, which will see heavy and persistent downpours and even some flooding from Saturday afternoon.
'Another warning of thunderstorms will cover large swathes of central England, spanning from the south to north, starting from 6am on Saturday. These areas will see scattered, heavy showers, thunderstorms and even some hail.'
Mr Morgan put this down to an area of low pressure over the UK, brought about by a jetstream bringing changeable, wet weather.
The Met Office has issued a yellow thunderstorm warning for much of central England on Saturday, while a similar warning of heavy rain is in place for large swathes of the South West. Pictured, Wimbledon
There was heavy rainfall in the Home Counties overnight, with photographs showing vehicles driving through floodwater in Godalming, Surrey, today
A cyclist narrowing avoids a soaking as a car speeds through floodwater in Godalming in Surrey on Saturday
A car enthusiast's sunny open top drive was disrupted by floodwater in Godalming, Surrey, on Saturday afternoon
He added: 'There are quite a few sporting events over the weekend, including England's Euro 2020 match against Ukraine in Rome at 8pm on Saturday.
'While the players will be playing in 28C temperatures, back in England spectators in pubs and fan zones will be hit with heavy downpours.
'It may also be a washout for tennis-goers at Wimbledon, who I'd advise to have an umbrella to hand, despite there being some sunny spells.'
Those in Wales will be hit with wet and even thundery conditions on Saturday, while parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland will see mostly cloudy conditions along with some rainfall.
Greg Dewhurst, a senior meteorologist at the Met Office, said: 'London will have some patchy rain through the first part of the afternoon but it should become a little bit drier later on, with maximum temperatures around 17C.
'Overall, I think there's a risk of one or two showers and temperatures on the cool side. That continues into Sunday as well, with further risk of showers across the London area again, on the heavy side at times, but I think there'll be some sunny spells too.'
Sunday sees the potential for hail and the yellow warnings move further north, covering northern parts of England, a large majority of Scotland and Northern Ireland, and remain in place until the end of the day.
Sunny spells meanwhile are predicted for the South and Midlands in England and across Wales on Sunday with highs of 71F (22C), which is slightly below average for this time of year.
Football fans are also being encouraged to check travel on Saturday as the showers may disrupt their plans.
Mr Dewhurst added: 'Our main message throughout the whole weekend is there is likely, wherever you are in the UK, to be some heavy showers around. Be prepared if you're travelling over the next couple of days with those heavy, heavy thunderstorms around.'