Strong winds and heavy rain have caused major disruption across the UK seeing the cancellation and delays to several sporting events. The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for large parts of the UK as they highlighted the potential impact to southern and northern England, South Wales and parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland. Met Office chief meteorologist, Andy Page, said: “This is an unusual time of year for such strong winds and, with many people on holiday or planning outdoor activities, they are likely to cause some disruption. In addition, heavy rain and thunderstorms could lead to standing water and spray on roads and consequently difficult driving conditions. Winds are expected to ease through the evening. “Temperatures are expected to stay near average or rather cool over the coming days especially in the rain and wind.” The intense weather has caused severe disruption to many events happening over the weekend, including the Wimbledon final and the T20 Blast Finals Day. Late Friday night it was announced that the Goodwood Festival of Speed would be cancelled on Saturday leaving thousands of motorsports fans disappointed. Wimbledon organisers have closed the queue for the penultimate day of the tournament after taking advice from the weather warnings in place. Organisers apologised “for any disappointment” and asked visitors to “come prepared for the inclement weather”. The closing of the queue to the finals weekend of the major tennis event has left many unable to attend The All England Club to view the finals of the Women’s and Wheelchair tournaments from the iconic Henman Hill. Wimbledon organisers released a statement on their social media, which read: “We are monitoring the weather forecast and in light of the yellow weather warning issued, we are making appropriate adjustments to our operations. “The tournament schedule on Centre Court and No.1 Court will proceed as planned. Please be aware that the Queue will be closed tomorrow and we apologise for any disappointment. “We encourage all guests to dress appropriately and come prepared for the inclement weather and to check our website and social media channels for further updates.” The T20 Blast Finals Day has also been impacted by the weather and rain stopped play in the match between Essex and Hampshire. It left Essex with eight fewer overs to try and secure their place in the final, but eventually the action was allowed to get back underway. The floodlights have remained on at the Edgbaston Stadium as Birmingham is still covered by dark clouds. With two games left for the rest of the day, including the semi-final between Somerset and Surrey and the final between the two winning teams, it is hoped that rain will stay at bay. There is a chance of rain throughout the rest of the day, but it is hoped this will not delay play further than it has this afternoon. The iconic mascot race has also been reduced due the play delay. Former Formula 1 driver Sebastian Vettel has confirmed that he will appear at the Goodwood Festival of Speed on Sunday after the event was cancelled on Saturday. The four-time World Champion is set to drive Ayrton Senna’s McLaren MP4/8A and Nigel Mansell’s FW14B at the motorsport spectacular. Vettel called the cancellation of Saturday’s event “a shame” but said he was “looking forward” to driving his two “beautiful cars” at the event tomorrow.
