Wimbledon 2017: Dry conditions to mark start of tournament on Monday

By Eric Leister, AccuWeather meteorologist

July 1,2017, 12:38:20PM,EDT

 

 

Following an unsettled week across the United Kingdom, more tranquil weather will prevail on Monday just in time for Wimbledon.
Dry weather is expected on Monday with a light winds and a mixture of cloud and sunshine.
A weak storm system crossing northern parts of the U.K. will cause more cloud and showers in those areas while seasonably warm air is pulled northward into southern England.

Temperatures are expected to climb to around 23 C (74 F) on Monday, just above the normal high of 21 C (70 F) for early July.
The dry and comfortable start to Wimbledon may not last long as a storm arriving from the Atlantic will threaten the tournament with rain as early as Tuesday.

Low pressure will move into northern Britain, leading to more widespread cloud and rain in Northern Ireland, Wales and northern England. Scattered showers will cross southern England.
Should the low track further to the south, lengthier rainy spells could impact play.
Following Tuesday's threat for rainfall, a pair of frontal boundaries will provide multiple chances for rainfall from Wednesday through the weekend though no washouts are expected. Some thunderstorms are possible as well.

Andy Murray of Britain kisses his trophy after beating Milos Raonic of Canada in the men's singles final on day fourteen of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Sunday, July 10,2016. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

While Centre Court has a retractable roof, the other 19 championship courts and 22 practice courts at the All England Club remain open to the elements, thus leaving the start and completion times of some matches in the hands of Mother Nature.
Closing the roof on Centre Court and creating the proper playing conditions can result in a 30- to 40-minute delay.
Wimbledon says that since 1922, only seven tournaments have experienced no weather delays. The last rain-free tournament came in 2010.
The wettest tournament was 1991 with 69.8 mm (2.75 inches) of rainfall reported while a thunderstorm produced more than 25 mm (1 inch) of rain in 20 minutes in 1985, according to the Met Office.
RELATED:
United Kingdom Weather Center
MinuteCast® for your location
Interactive United Kingdom weather radar
Despite the threat for rainfall, overall temperatures are expected to remain near to above normal through at least the first week of the tournament.
In fact, depending on the timing of frontal boundaries, there could be a day or two of very warm conditions at Wimbledon.
In this scenario, high temperatures could reach or surpass 27 C (80 F), but an intense heat wave is not forecast to occur this year.
In 2015, the high temperature reached 35.7 C (96.3 F) during tournament play making it the hottest Wimbledon on record.