Due to heavy rain, matches on the outdoor courts at Wimbledon are suspended

Heavy downpours and thunderstorms hit the UK, and the torrential rain forced matches on Wimbledon’s outdoor courts to be suspended.

Spectators at both the tennis tournament and the British Grand Prix at the Silverstone Circuit were seen under umbrellas on this rainy Sunday.

In SW19, there was a two-hour delay in the start of outdoor play and players were only able to play tennis for a short time before the rain started again.

The sliding roofs on Centre Court and Court 1 have been closed since the beginning of the seventh day of the tournament.

The Met Office said: “Today there will be heavy downpours with thunderstorms and frequent lightning, now reaching eastern parts of northern England and East Anglia, and moving from the southwest into London and central England.”

“Hail was reported in some of these showers, along with frequent lightning and gusty winds, mixed with some clear or sunny spells.

“These should subside and clear towards the east during the night, leaving some sunshine late in the evening before it gets cooler overnight.

“As for Wimbledon and the Grand Prix, there remains a risk of rain showers affecting the events until this evening before it subsides.”

Met Office meteorologist Jonathan Vautrey said a combination of shower evasion and possibly rainbow chasing was expected for the rest of Sunday.

He said temperatures should feel “relatively comfortable” with sunny weather, at around 17 to 19 degrees, which he noted is “still below the temperatures we normally expect for early July.”

“There are still light showers tonight, so if you’re at Wimbledon, the British Grand Prix at Silverstone or just in your local park, you might want to have your umbrella handy in case one passes you by. But as the evening progresses, the showers will ease,” the meteorologist added.