A rare late-May heat wave is gripping the French Open, testing players and softening the clay courts at Roland Garros.
From
To
French Open stunner: No. 1 Jannik Sinner struggles with dizziness during heat wave in 2nd-round loss
Top-ranked Jannik Sinner is out in the French Open second round. Sinner struggled with dizziness and wasted a chance to serve for the match in a 3-6, 2-6, 7-5, 6-1, 6-1 loss to 56th-ranked opponent Juan Manuel Cerundolo. Sinner was on a 30-match winning streak and was an overwhelming favorite to complete a career Grand Slam. Sinner bent over on the clay court in apparent exhaustion multiple times. He attempted to cool himself with a hand-held fan on changeovers and put bags of ice around his neck. The temperature rose to 32 C (90 F).
Despite an unprecedented heat wave at the French Open the tournament’s extreme weather policy has not been activated this week. And even if it had been it’s unlikely that the retractable roof on Court Philippe-Chatrier would have been closed before or during top-ranked Jannik Sinner’s loss. The temperature at the start of the match was 29 degrees C (84 F) and rose to 32 C (90 F). Those don't approach the levels for activating the policy. And the policy makes no mention of closing roofs.
A new report from the United Nations weather agency gives a three-out-of-four chance that the next five years will average more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial temperatures. That's the international safety limit set in 2015. There’s an even higher chance — 86% — that one of the next five years will smash the global heat record set in 2024 and next year looks like a leading contender. So expect more extreme weather. The next five winters in the Arctic are predicted to be nearly 3 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than the last five years. Meteorologists also forecast an Amazon drought that may spark wildfires.
A spring heat wave is scorching parts of Western Europe, breaking temperature records and triggering government warnings. A temperature of 95 Fahrenheit was recorded in London on Tuesday. On Monday, London hit 95.2 F, smashing the previous record of 91.4 F set in 1922 and 1944. France is also seeing record temperatures, with temperatures reaching 97°F. Several drownings have been reported in Britain and France as people try to cool down. Experts say unpredictable and extreme weather is becoming more frequent. The U.K. Health Security Agency issued an amber health alert, warning of potential health risks, especially for older people.
A heat wave has gripped large parts of India, emptying roads and markets in the afternoons. Forecasters warned that high temperatures will lik…