Has anyone seen the weather forecast for Edgbaston for next Tuesday? According to the BBC forecast is 33C dropping to the low 20s thereafter. S o looks like a pretty normal mid July week.

Back to the team - very interesting reading all your opinions regarding various players - not getting to see any games I find it hard to contribute with regards the red ball game.

Chelmsford - 39 on Monday, 38 on Tuesday. For Brum they appear to be dropping the prediction for Tuesday due to possible thunderstorms. I'm sure there's more to it than that but if the storms don't show temps could be not far off what they're predicting at Chelmsford across a swathe of the country.

Nothing to panic about. I think people will happily take advantage of the air con in the dollery and shade in the Hollies at Edgbaston for the first two thirds of the day. It's that sticky bit 3pm till 5pm that will get uncomfortable if the storms don't arrive

I'll be taking my chances. If I get hot I'll find some shade and sip a cold drink. At nearly 60 and as a veteran of numerous England overseas tours - 4 days on an unshaded grass bank in Adelaide in 40+ heat Dec 98 stands out - 1 hot day in mid July is not going to worry me. Most county players will have spent time in Aus or SA off season playing club cricket - I suspect they'll have no fears from 1 day in 30+ temps. Short spells of hot weather like this are not that uncommon. Unfortunately - in our post-Covid world - the all too predictable hysterics and catastrophisation from the usual suspects are becoming depressingly regular.

https://www.spiked-online.com/2022/07/16/heatwaves-and-the-climate-of-fear/

Postponing the game?! Moving the game?! What?! I've sat down there enough times in April/May/September freezing my cods off, I can't wait to be down there in 40+ temperatures, bring it on I say. I choose hotter the better everytime.

They do indeed though for football move kick off times. I was at a game that had to be rescheduled from 4pm ko to 12 noon kick off purely due to the excessive mid afternoon temperature made worse by forest fires all across the Pacific Northwest. It is a reasonable question to ask when would it be needed to be done for cricket? Would it have to go to 42 degrees for them to call off play? Obviously not as practical for first class cricket as for football but you get the feeling that if it was the start of the Hundred it would be being considered at least due to the effect it might have on numbers showing up

We've had bright lights from windscreens stopping play - I wonder if there is protocal for suspension of play if temps get to a particular figure at various levels within the sport. I suppose we'll see over the next few days. Clouding over last night and today hopefully takes the sting out of it anyway. I think if/when it remains 29/30 degrees at night-time that's gonna make everyone uncomfortable

I will be there for all 4 days unless the pitch is dead and it looks like a high scoring draw. I will definitely be in shelter on the first day, I am very brown anyway being a groundsman who works outside all year so no hurry to top up the tan but do not want to burn either.

You want to be careful with that common sense approach of yours paulbear - it might catch on! 😉

Might even hit that 42c level that could change things regards play on Mon/Tues. If hospitals cancel shit then like when COVID loomed large unnecessary activities might need to be cut.

Brits are being warned to stay indoors as “ferocious” life-threatening ‘day and night’ temperatures are due to blast the UK for the first time in history.

Death-Valley type temperatures of 42C during the day and 30C at night are threatening to double the UK summer average - prompting a Met Office first-ever red warning.

The public are being urged “to do as little as possible” and try not to use public transport.

Does this apply to fielders busting their guts stopping a four or batters turning easy singles into risky twos?

Hospitals have cancelled appointments and many businesses have announced two day closures including restaurants, bars, zoos and wildlife centres - while millions will work from home.

The chief executive of the College of Paramedics has warned that the “ferocious heat” the UK is predicted to experience over the next few days could result in people dying.

SC_Bear, you know what they say about 'Common Sense', it's not very common. I have been to Death Valley, extraordinary place, the only place so quiet where I could hear the second hand on my watch and yes, very, very hot. It does not look anything like Birmingham though.

It looks like Gloucestershire are the first county to change hours of play for tomorrow:
"The Club has acted in line with advice from the ECB to alter the hours of play for the match v Hampshire tomorrow, meaning the new hours of play are now as follows:
The start of play will remain at 11am and will be followed by three 90 minute sessions, with the lunch and tea intervals remaining as 40 minutes and 20 minutes respectively."
Will others follow?

....and Northants have done the same.

They can't NOT do this pretty much nationwide now. I was hoping the HEAT would be mainly Essex way but remember Cheltenham has several annual records recently and they're saying the worst 42 degree temps likely to be a bit further north than the south east tomorrow

Somerset released the following ahead of their match Vs Yorkshire

Due to the anticipated high temperatures on day one of this match, the ECB have advised that all counties can play three 90-minute sessions in order to reduce any risks to player’s health at their discretion. With cooler temperatures anticipated on days two, three and four, the time will be made up in an additional 30 minutes on those days. A decision will be made shortly before the toss tomorrow.

Given Taunton is outside the red zone seems likely Edgbaston (very much within the red zone) will be adjusting hours of play. They're probably just awaiting the nod from both captains and the groundstaff)

The Somerset decision sounds the best - wait and see. So many times forecasts are made by those in authority shown to be inaccurate. The decision can be made minutes before the toss.

So what time would the close of play be? I won't be arriving at the ground until about 2pm due to work commitments so I could really do with knowing what's happening!

The original post on this advised the breaks will remain the same. So that would indicate play 11-12.30, 40 min lunch, 1.10 - 2.40. 3-4.30 which seems an early finish. Pity that could not find a way of having a break at the hottest time of the day and then playing on when it should have gone a bit cooler.

This is ridiculous.

Surrey 2nds have just closed for the day at 4.39. Obvs 2nd XI there's more discretion. Suppose it depends how long the innings lasted. Their opponents had been in the field for 72 overs and today is worse further south (Kingston upon Thames where the ground is 37 just now) whereas forecast tomorrow is worse further north

Good to see that the MCC are upholding standards and insisting on ties being worn tomorrow:
https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/county-championship-2022-ecb-allow-counties-to-shift-championship-start-times-to-avoid-worst-of-heatwave-1325357
I wonder if any of the more reckless and rebellious members will secretly undo the top button of their shirt under the tie.