Cheltenham washout
Fears for festival as Storm Gareth sweeps in with 65mph winds
RACEGOERS face an anxious wait amid fears that Storm Gareth could wreck the Cheltenham Festival today.
Despite torrential rain and strong winds, a record 67,934 turned up for the first day yesterday.
But with Storm Gareth expected to take a firmer hold there are increasing concerns that Ladies Day racing could be put off today.
It would be the first time since 2008 that races at one of the biggest events in the racing calendar have been postponed due to the weather.
It follows an outbreak of equine flu last month which led to the cancellation of a string of race meetings across the country.
Wind speeds are expected to reach up to 45mph at the site today and heavy showers are forecast throughout the day.
Elsewhere in the country, forecasters have warned of gusts of up to 65mph in exposed areas. Storm Gareth is due to hit Northern
‘Hold on to your fascinators’
Ireland first where wind speeds could reach up to 75mph, before moving across to England. Met Office meteorologist Mark Wilson said: ‘It’s going to stay very windy for much of the UK on Wednesday until Storm Gareth clears to the east.
‘At Cheltenham it is certainly going to be a very windy day, with gusts up to 45mph.
‘It’s going to be pretty gusty so for anyone at Ladies Day our best piece of advice would be to hold on to your fascinators.’
Organisers at Cheltenham Festival are said to be keeping a ‘ close eye’ on conditions with a final decision likely to be made early this morning.
It is understood there is a concern the strong winds could affect the temporary structures at the site.
Clerk of the course Simon Claisse said: ‘ We wanted to give everyone an early insight into conditions for tomorrow as the forecast is looking challenging, with strong gusting winds throughout the day. We are continually monitoring the situation and will keep racegoers informed as the conditions present themselves.’
Around half an inch (13mm) of rain fell on the site as thousands of fans arrived for the first day of the meet yesterday.
Desperate to keep their shoes dry and protected, some women resorted to tying carrier bags around their feet. Others were seen covering their hair with bags, jackets and even boxes.
Zara and Mike Tindall were among those who braved the elements with a large umbrella. Zara opted for a practical navy button- down coat with overthe-knee boots and a striking bespoke teal cocktail hat.
Other racegoers included Princess Anne, Liz Hurley, Carol Vorderman and Richard Hammond.
It was a particularly good day for one punter, who scooped £182,567 after betting just £2. Another walked away with £ 36,513 after staking just 10p. Large parts of the country were hit by stormy conditions yesterday with a number of yellow wind warnings remaining in place for this morning. Strong winds gusting at up to 60mph are expected to continue into tomorrow, with coastal areas particularly at risk. Widespread gales and further rainfall are expected across ‘the northern half of UK’ on Friday into Saturday.
The UK average rainfall for March as a whole is 95.1mm, according to the Met Office. But March 2019’s total so far is 70mm.