Wimbledon reveals yellow rubber duck as secret weapon to predict tournament weather
I can’t say anything serious: A yellow rubber duck named John Quackenroe has been revealed by Wimbledon as a secret weapon in its £1million arsenal for predicting when it will rain
Wimbledon has spent millions of pounds on one of the world’s most accurate weather kits.
But despite cutting-edge technology that can even predict heavy rainfall on individual courts, its most valuable tools are a bucket and a rubber duck called the John Quackenroe.
SW19 has a children’s pool on the roof and is equipped with thermal imaging cameras so the team can observe the Quack Enlow day or night to determine the type of rain.
This is the ‘low-tech’ partner of the Club’s most advanced radar, which fires into rain clouds every 20 seconds to determine the exact time and location of heavy rain.
“My radar is pretty expensive, but this is a few pounds,” said Paul Abeille, manager of the base, of the bucket, adding: You can imagine what falls on the coat, large and small. ”
SW19 has a children’s pool on the roof and is equipped with thermal imaging cameras so the team can monitor Quackenroh day and night to determine the type of rain.
“My radar is pretty expensive, but this one is a few pounds,” said Paul Abeille, manager of the base, of the bucket.
Radar systems are so advanced that they often tell referees to keep playing because they know the rain will stop in minutes when it starts.
The forecasters share that information with headquarters, which transmits it to panels outside Center Court. This panel is visible to all off-court spotters.
This broadcasts a number from 1 to 8 to indicate “ready court cover team”, “stop play at umpire’s discretion”, “cover court immediately”, “deflate cover”, “ There are various instructions such as “Arrange the coat”. ‘.
But despite the accuracy of the weather stations and the expertise of the meteorologists, that doesn’t stop the authorities from suggesting they know better.
“Sometimes referees come in and say, ‘I don’t really know about that cloud,'” said Abby Smith, senior operational meteorologist.
BBC tennis critic John McEnroe, former world No. 1 men and former No. 3 women Sue Barker
Ground staff take shelter as rain interrupts play on the outdoor courts on Day 9 of the 2023 Wimbledon Championships
Embarrassingly for the Bureau of Meteorology, which is only responsible for forecasting up to a one-mile radius from the club, at that point Abeille’s team at Meteor France will take over the “ultra-accurate” images.
The Frenchman uses the technology at events around the world, but says Wimbledon is “the most fun” because of the unpredictability of the weather.
“It’s more fun here than in Bahrain,” he joked. “We love forecasting here because the weather is always changing.”
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/wimbledon/article-12289171/Yellow-rubber-duck-revealed-Wimbledon-secret-weapon-predict-tournament-weather.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490 Wimbledon reveals yellow rubber duck as secret weapon to predict tournament weather
