Spectators heading to Wimbledon are facing significant travel disruption after Transport for London (TfL) issued a “severe” warning on Tuesday.
The cause was a fire alert at Southfields, the closest Underground station to the All England Club, which brought the District Line service to a standstill.
This concerning news emerged on day two of the tournament, coinciding with temperatures soaring to 34C. TfL advised spectators to expect “severe delays,” stating there was “no service” between Parsons Green and Wimbledon and “severe delays” between Edgware Road and Parsons Green due to the incident at Southfields.
Compounding the issues, a signal failure at Gunnersbury also caused a “no service” situation on the District Line between Turnham Green and Richmond, potentially affecting more journeys to and from the grounds.
The intense heat adds to the frustration for fans trying to get to or leave Wimbledon. The high temperatures have already impacted the championships in South-West London, leading to medical incidents among attendees.
On Tuesday, the heat led to a medical emergency during the match between Lorenzo Musetti and Nikoloz Basilashvili. A fan fell ill in the stands, prompting Musetti to alert officials. Play was temporarily suspended while medics and staff attended to the spectator, providing water and shade.
On day one, defending champion Carlos Alcaraz`s match against Fabio Fognini was also briefly paused when a fan felt unwell due to the extreme heat. Alcaraz notably offered a bottle of water to the spectator.
