The extreme heatwave sweeping through Melbourne has created gruelling conditions for everyone involved in the Australian Open, with former British tennis star Tim Henman providing a vivid, if somewhat humorous, illustration of the sweltering reality. The season's opening Grand Slam tournament experienced its highest temperature in seventeen years on Tuesday, as the mercury soared to a blistering 43 degrees Celsius during the late afternoon.
Heat Stress Scale Triggers Play Suspension
Organisers were forced to implement temporary suspensions on outside courts three hours prior to that peak, after the tournament's specialised 'Heat Stress Scale' reached the critical level of 5.0. This threshold automatically mandates a halt to play to protect athletes, officials, and spectators. Introduced in 2019, this sophisticated system evaluates four distinct climate factors—air temperature, radiant heat, humidity, and wind speed—gathered from multiple monitoring points across Melbourne Park to calculate the overall risk.
Henman's Sweaty Ordeal Captured on Social Media
Tim Henman, who is providing commentary for TNT Sports at the event, became an unwitting symbol of the intense conditions. Fellow broadcaster and former player Laura Robson shared a light-hearted Instagram story that captured Henman's discomfort. The footage showed the former British number one, dressed in a grey T-shirt, visibly red-faced and drenched in sweat, with large patches forming under his arms and across his neck and chest as he presented alongside Robson.
Robson accompanied the short video with the playful caption, 'some people can't handle the heat,' as her colleague was seen wiping perspiration from his face. The image served as a stark, human reminder of the physical toll exacted by the extreme weather, even on those not competing on court.
Drastic Measures Enacted to Ensure Safety
Australian Open officials have activated a series of drastic protocols to safeguard all participants. The normally bustling areas outside Melbourne Park were transformed into a virtual ghost town as temperatures climbed, with crowds dramatically thinning. Inside the venue, organisers enacted extreme heat measures, including closing the retractable roofs over the primary show courts and postponing matches scheduled for the uncovered outer courts.
During Tuesday's quarter-final clash between Aryna Sabalenka and Iva Jovic—the last match contested under the direct sun—both players were seen using ice packs on their heads and portable fans directed at their faces during changeovers. Photographers covering the match were provided with special cushions to prevent heat-related injuries when seated, and they covered their equipment with towels to avoid malfunctions or burns from the scorching surfaces.
Spectator Numbers Plummet as Health Warnings Heeded
Attendees sought relief by queuing for giant misting fans or retreating to the air-conditioned sections of the complex. The tournament, which had previously registered record-breaking attendance figures, saw a sharp decline in crowd numbers. The daytime session on Tuesday attracted only 21,000 spectators, a significant drop from the 50,000 recorded on Monday, as the public heeded official health advisories to stay indoors.
Broader Heatwave Context and Regional Records
Meteorologists forecast a slight temperature drop for Wednesday, although the heatwave is predicted to persist across the region until the weekend. This latest event follows another severe heat episode earlier in the month, contributing to what is shaping up to be one of Australia's hottest summers on record.
Remarkably, Melbourne was not even the hottest location in Victoria state. Preliminary reports indicated that the rural towns of Hopetoun and Walpeup endured staggering highs of approximately 48.9 degrees Celsius. If confirmed, these readings would surpass previous records set on the same date in 2009, a day tragically associated with the state's devastating Black Saturday bushfires that claimed 173 lives.
While no casualties have been reported from Tuesday's extreme heat, Victoria authorities have issued urgent cautions as three separate forest fires continue to burn out of control across the state, underscoring the wider environmental dangers posed by such intense weather patterns.
