Wimbledon 'ready' for soaring temperatures

London: Wimbledon chief executive Sally Bolton said the Grand Slam was not used to baking summer temperatures but we re absolutely ready for it as t...

London: Wimbledon chief executive Sally Bolton said the Grand Slam was not used to baking summer temperatures but "we're absolutely ready for it" as the mercury soared in London on Monday.

Temperatures on the first day of the Championships are expected to climb to at least 33 degrees Celsius (91 degrees Fahrenheit).

Wimbledon, often plagued by cool, damp weather, has a heat rule that it is ready to activate to safeguard the health of the players.

It is based on a heat stress index that takes into account a number of factors including air temperature, humidity and the surface temperature.

"The obvious point to make is that the athletes compete in temperatures like this all year on the tour so for us Brits here at the championships it feels very hot," said Bolton.