Extreme heat across Europe has already disrupted multiple sporting events, with horse racing meetings cancelled in the UK, a World Cup public screening scrapped in Spain, and Wimbledon's rarely-used heat rule on standby.
Horse Racing Cancellations in the UK
Four upcoming horse racing fixtures have been cancelled entirely due to extreme heat forecasts. Wednesday's scheduled meetings at Kempton, Salisbury, Worcester and Ffos Las will not go ahead. The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) strictly follows a hot weather policy requiring abandonment if fixtures fall within a red warning zone. Additionally, trainers are forbidden from moving horses from or through areas under red alerts.
The cancellations came after the Met Office upgraded its weather warning to a rare red alert for central and southern England and Wales, signalling a potential risk to life. Temperatures are anticipated to reach 38C from 9am on Wednesday until 9pm on Thursday.
Before the red alert was issued, organisers had already brought the Worcester jumps meeting forward to 10.30am to mitigate heat concerns, but the deteriorating forecast made outright cancellation unavoidable, according to a BHA spokesperson.
World Cup Screening Scrapped in Madrid
In Spain, extreme heat forced authorities to cancel a planned public screening of Spain's World Cup fixture against Saudi Arabia, scheduled for a 6pm kick-off. The Spanish capital is enduring temperatures predicted to hit 40C due to a mass of hot air drifting from North Africa.
The local city council and the Spanish football federation decided that staging a mass gathering in the Plaza de Colon fan zone posed too great a risk. Safeguarding the health of attendees, event staff and support services was their principal concern, according to a council statement.
Wimbledon Heat Rule Could Be Activated
Wimbledon could also be affected by the heatwave. The tournament's heat rule comes into force when the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) reading reaches 30.1°C or above. Officials take readings three times daily: 30 minutes before play, at 2pm and at 5pm.
Once the threshold is exceeded, players in singles matches can request a 10-minute cooling break. Only one player needs to make the request for it to be granted to both competitors. The rule has been used sparingly in Wimbledon's history, making its potential activation notable.
