Australian Open organisers invoked their extreme heat policy as temperatures soared at Melbourne Park on Tuesday, prompting the suspension of play on outer courts and the closure of roofs on the main show courts.
The tournaments Heat Stress Scale reached the highest threshold of 5.0 early in the afternoon, with the temperature breaking through the 40 Celsius 104F mark by 2 pm, the hottest day of the tournament so far.
The years opening Grand Slam operates under an extreme heat policy that considers air temperature, radiant heat, wind speed and humidity to assess playing conditions.
