Bring your wellies to the Games! Lord Coe warns Olympic visitors to prepare for a soggy time as forecasters predict MORE heavy rain

By PHIL VINTER


Worrying: There were dark clouds over the Olympic Stadium in London today and organisers are urging spectators to bring wellies and waterproofs for fear the Games will hit by heavy downpours

Unfortunately athletes arriving from warmer climes for the Olympics have so far failed to bring the sunshine and now Sebastian Coe is urging visitors to the games to bring their welllies and waterproofs.
The chairman of the London 2012 organising committee Locog issued the pessimistic warning as dark clouds loomed ominously over London today and there are fears that if the bad weather continues many events might have to be rescheduled.
Lord Coe said those with tickets to outdoor events should bear in mind that London is a 'northern European country' with unpredictable weather.

Dark times: The Olympic hockey arena was shrouded in dark clouds today as the Australian women's hockey team were going through their paces

Illuminating: The sky above was so dark that the floodlights had to be put on in the hockey stadium to enable the players to see clearly. Forecasters said there was 'a glimmer of hope' that the weather during the games might brighten up

Spectacle: There are now just ten days to go until the start of the Olympics and Lord Coe said those with tickets to outdoor events should bear in mind that London is a 'northern European country' with unpredictable weather
Rainfall has already left the Buckinghamshire rowing venue Eton Dorney and equestrian site Greenwich Park waterlogged.
Temporary surfaces have been laid to allow vehicles and pedestrians to travel around the sites safely and shelters have been built for workers at the affected venues.
Lord Coe told a press conference at the Olympic Park in Stratford, East London: 'I have joked in the past about putting a roof across the whole country.

'But let's be clear, this is actually proving quite a challenge to us.

'At the risk of sounding a little bit like a father about to issue their kids off an outward bound trip, let me make the obvious point that we are a northern European country.
'People do need to be wearing the right footwear, the right rainproof clothing and sun screen.'
Lord Coe added that contingency plans will enable events such as rowing and equestrian sports to run across extra days if they are rained off.
'That is the last resort of course. We have an alternative sailing course available to us in Weymouth and we have of course got the famous roof at Wimbledon.
'Then for those hardy souls that normally reside in track and field, hockey and triathlon, it is pretty much business as usual.'

Boys in blue: Police officers patrol near the Olympic stadium today. HBad weather could also make policing the even more tricky

Good luck charm? A statue of Olympic mascot Mandeville photographed in the middle of London today as the grey clouds loomed above

However, the shifting weather patterns may lead to continued unsettled weather in the north of England and Scotland where
The Met Office long-range forecast published on Monday said the weather would remain changeable next week, but the worst conditions could shift north.

'London and the Olympic Games are clearly not made for each other,' says the journal. 'Visitors will need determination and, most of all, patience to reach the venues at all. And, for the locals, it all can't end soon enough.
'It's already clear that the London Olympics will be an arduous obstacle course for everyone.
'The world's biggest financial centre will be gripped by a special condition usually seen only in wartime. Its 7.8million inhabitants are about to be joined by an average of 1million additional visitors per day.
'The already overloaded public transport system will be burdened with an additional 3million fares per day. A total of 109 miles of the city's streets will be closed off to normal traffic.

Getting closer: Kathy Gore, was one of the lucky people chosen to carry the Olympic torch today as the flame creeps closer towards its final destination in London

'Almost twice as many soldiers as Britain has in Afghanistan, a helicopter carrier and special forces units armed to the teeth will make the city look like it's under siege.
'And then there's England's classic bad weather, which has some wondering whether the Summer Games will turn into a fiasco. The weather has been cold, wet and gloomy since the spring, with last month proving to be the wettest June on record.
'The meteorologists' Olympic forecasts are nothing short of dismal: rain, rain and, yes, more rain. And it won't just be falling on the athletes, but also on the highest-priced seats in the Olympic Stadium. Optimistic planners decided not to cover those seats, unlike the rest of them.'

Sky times: Olympic Games mascot Wenlock poses outside an overcast Houses of Parliament today

In a long and rambling article, Der Spiegel attacks most aspects of London – and British – life.
Even youngsters come in for criticism: 'And the children? They haven't become athletes, either. On the contrary, the boys and girls of the British Isles are among the fattest in the European Union. London's poor East End now has an Olympic Park and the largest shopping centre in the EU – but it's still poor.

View from above: The dreary conditions made for a poor view of the city from the Olympic Emirates Air Cable Cars, which criss cross the River Thames in east London

'Though London has many natural gifts, they aren't of the kind that makes it ideal to host such a major event. And because Great Britain is both a debt-ridden and democratic country, it wasn't possible to radically reshape London for the event, as the Chinese did with Beijing in 2008.
'The 2012 London Olympics will probably end up looking like the host city itself: a little chaotic, a little infuriating, never perfect, but with a lot of room for improvisation, charm and talent.
'Those who live there will be delighted, of course, but only once it's over.'

source: dailymail