Wimbledon 2022 weather forecast: What happens if it rains?

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When Wimbledon returned in 2021 following its cancellation because of the pandemic a year earlier, there was one sight that felt both unwelcome and reassuringly familiar.

The start of play on the opening day of the 134th tournament was delayed because of rain over south London, reminding fans and organisers of one of the perils of holding a tournament during an English summer.

That was nothing compared to the year most affected by weather, when the final had to be played three days later than scheduled in 1922. Sixty years on, Jimmy Connors won the final a day after its original scheduling to end a tournament beset by three times the average rainfall for the two-week period.

So, what happens if it rains at Wimbledon 2022?

Does Wimbledon have a roof on Centre Court?

A retractable roof was installed on Wimbledon's iconic Centre Court in 2009 in an extremely complex work of architecture that involved 1,000 metric tons of steel.

There are 214 moving elements involved in the operation of the roof, which can also be adjusted to control the glare of the sun over fans and the Royal Box.

The roof, which is thought to have cost between £80 million and £100 million ($98m-$122m), started operating two years after an edition of Wimbledon ravaged by bad weather during the first week and three years before the Olympic Games visited London.

A £70m ($86m) roof was added to Court No1 in time for the 2019 tournament. Its value was in evidence immediately when rain swept over a star-studded opening ceremony featuring the likes of singer Paloma Faith and Wimbledon legend Martina Navratilova.

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What happens on smaller courts when it rains?

Communications between match umpires and tournament officials are an ominous sign for fans that a match is about to be suspended because of bad weather.

Ballboys and girls are joined by ground staff to rush the covers over courts in the hope of avoiding the grass deteriorating while the players make a hasty exit.

It then becomes a case of hoping the weather will ease in time to allow play to resume while it remains light enough to play. If not, matches are rescheduled for the following day.

Rain delays are notorious for changing the momentum of matches in a sport in which impetus can be key.

In 2001, perennial British contender Tim Henman was leading by two sets to one against the unseeded Goran Ivanisevic before rain forced the rivals off for the day in the first of two rain delays.

Ivanisevic returned to prevail, eventually winning the match on Sunday before triumphing in the final a day later than usual in one of the greatest fairy tales ever seen at Wimbledon.

Wimbledon weather forecast 2022

On Thursday, June 30, the weather in London is expected to be cloudy, with temperatures of around 19 degrees Celcius (66 degrees Fahrenheit).

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There is a small chance of rain interrupting play but showers are not expected to be prolonged.

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Ben Miller is a content producer for The Sporting News.