Tennis fans are set to enjoy 21C highs at Wimbledon today as the tournament begins, but they have been warned to pack a brolly and raincoat for the coming week.
Forecasters expect the competition to kick off with a sunny and mostly dry start in South West London as Carlos Alcaraz starts play on Centre Court this afternoon.
A festival atmosphere rivalling Glastonbury was in full swing as people queued for a ticket with Emma Raducanu headlining British hopes on the opening Monday. Fans have flown from as far away as the US and camped since Friday to be first in line.
But while the weather today should be mostly dry, showers could move in tonight with a chance of downpours tomorrow and then throughout the opening week.
Met Office meteorologist Ellie Glaisyer said: ‘Looking ahead to Tuesday, it looks like there could be a couple of showers around the afternoon.
‘There will be some sunny spells between those showers and perhaps it’ll be a touch warmer, say 22 or 23 degrees.
‘As we start to look a bit further ahead towards the middle of week, it looks like we’ll see dry cloud and maybe a spot of rain at times through Wednesday afternoon and into the start of Thursday.
‘Temperatures are still staying similar to average, so into the low 20s through the second half of the week. But we’ll have more detail on that a little bit closer to the time.’
Asked for her advice to Wimbledon spectators, she said: ‘Make sure you pack your raincoat and umbrella just in case, and also your sunscreen in case it’s hot. Maybe a hat, as well.’
The unsettled weather is being caused by a jet stream heading to the UK, Ms Glaisyer said, leading to low pressure over the country.
She said: ‘It’s quite a changeable picture at the moment, just due to the location of the jet stream.’
Reigning men’s champion Alcaraz starts play on Centre Court as he looks to retain his title in what has been called the most open tournament in 20 years.
The women’s singles will be as competitive as ever, with Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka among those playing on day one who will be looking to make it eight different winners in as many Championships.
Fans have been draping the lawn of Wimbledon Park with Union Jacks and St George’s flags as they waited to get into the All England Club.
Some were playing tennis with nets and rackets brought from home, and revellers were unanimous in saying they would rather be pitching their tents in South West London than on Worthy Farm in Somerset for Glastonbury.
Linda Jacobs, a mother-of-two and tennis enthusiast who had flown all the way from Houston, Texas, to be in the queue, said it was like ‘a tennis festival’.
‘It’s like a festival – but without the drugs and sex and craziness,’ the 61-year-old, who was fourth from front in the queue, said. ‘It’s a very sophisticated festival.’
Ms Jacobs said a visit to Wimbledon had long been on her and her doubles partner’s bucket list, and that she was already considering returning next year.
‘We flew Thursday night and put up our tent at 1pm on Friday,’ she continued. ‘This is like a dream come true. For us, this has been on our bucket lists for years.
‘Wimbledon is like Mecca for tennis fans. I’ve been to the US Open but it’s nothing like this. We thought if we we’re going to do it, we’d go and do it well. It’s like a tennis holiday. It has been such a lovely experience.
‘Everybody is enjoying it and everybody’s a tennis lover. It’s a really nice community. We brought our rackets and have played on the grass – it’s just such fun.’
Despite bringing camping gear on their flights – which cost $650 (£512) for one way – Ms Jacobs and her doubles partner also have a room at the Marriot Hotel in Kensington.
‘We’ve had a hotel this whole time as well, just in case,’ she explained. ‘And so we can take showers. Our idea is to go for Centre Court. We will get the afternoon tea that they do and fly back Thursday.
‘Unfortunately we won’t get to see much of London or England other than this park, but we’ll come back. I would come back just for this camping experience.’
Blase Walton, the racket manager of David Lloyd in Basildon, Essex, arrived at the park at 8am on Friday morning to be first in line in the queue for Wimbledon tickets.
The 41-year-old has come with a crew of more than 20 staff and members from the leisure club, but was woken up at 1am by park rangers who told him to move his tent on his first evening.
‘I’ve done it two years in a row,’ the father-of-three said. ‘We have a nice little community down here. It’s really nice. I get tickets on a regular basis but here you talk about tennis all the time.
‘It was a bit tricky though, because we were not meant camp here on Friday. The park rangers came down and woke us up at 1am, but we managed to stay.’
Ms Jacobs said she moved her tent to public land until she was allowed to camp in the queue after being told off by some local residents who weren’t happy about her camping in the park.
Tori Alun-Jones, who works as a housekeeper for Center Parks, had travelled from Warminster on the Wiltshire-Somerset border to get in line for the tenth year in a row.
‘It’s all worth it,’ the 34-year-old, who travels across the world watching tennis, asserted. ‘You always make friends and enjoy it. It’s our own little Glastonbury.
‘I’ve made friends in the queue who I stay in touch with – we even went to the Davis Cup together. We got here about 4pm yesterday. It’s really quiet and they have strict rules.
‘I’m here for a week and a half – I’ve taken two weeks off work. I’ve got a friend at Glasto who’s coming to join the queue today.’
Ms Alun-Jones, who is around 50th in the queue, explained that at the end of each day she would pick up her tent again and get back in the queue for the following day’s tickets.
A screen been put up at one end of the queue for the first time this year and joins food vans, a water station and toilet facilities to accommodate campers.
On who she hopes to see this year, Ms Alun-Jones added: ‘Jack Draper is my favourite at the moment, and Katie Boulter.’
Tickets for each day – of which there are around 500 – can be obtained by queuing up until the quarter final stage. Tickets for the first day at Centre Court are expected to cost around £85, and get more expensive each day.
Moira Demaree, a Brit living now living in Cincinnati in America, flew over after regretting never having been to Wimbledon when she lived here.
The 56-year-old mother-of-one, who works as a teaching assistant, said: ‘I moved to the States 16 years ago but always regretted not going to Wimbledon.
‘I was visiting friends and they said, ‘Why don’t you come a week early and come to Wimnbledon?’ I’m super excited.’
Mothers Ariane and Emma travelled on the train from Sherbourne in Dorset to join the queue with their daughters and hope to cheer on British players whilst waving their Union Jack flag.
Emma said: ‘We got here around an hour ago, and I’m hoping we should be able to get in the 500. We’re only here for tomorrow, and have been having a debate about whether to go for First Court or Centre Court.
‘First Court has a really epic lineup tomorrow, but Radacanu and Alcaraz are on Centre Court. Nothing beats watching a Brit play on Centre Court and we even have a flag.’
Ariane added: ‘Usually we have tickets, but we didn’t get the ballots this year so we are slumming it.’
Britons were also hoping they might be able to see Andy Murray play what would surely be his last Wimbledon.
Ray Wheeler, part of the David Lloyds Basildon crew, was soaking in the party atmosphere by cracking open his first beer at midday.
‘I’ve been to Wimbledon seven or eight times, but this is my first time camping,’ the 61-year-old cab driver said. ‘It’s a bit of a festival atmosphere.’
Raducanu is one of seven Britons in action on the opening day.
Heather Watson will be the first on court, taking on Greet Minnen at 11am, while Liam Broady, who reached the third round 12 months ago, takes on Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp.
Charles Broom’s Wimbledon debut comes against three-time grand slam champion Stan Wawrinka on Court Two.
Yuriko Miyazaki plays Tamara Korpatsch, Arthur Fery also has German opposition in Daniel Altmaier and Sonay Kartal will look for her first Wimbledon singles win at the third attempt against 29th seed Sorana Cirstea.