Spectators have been advised to bring their umbrellas and waterproofs as the Jubilee river pageant threatens to be a wash-out with heavy downpours and even thunder.
Weather forecasters are predicting up to half an inch of rain on Sunday with temperatures falling to 10C — half the seasonal average for June.
The outlook is for sustained showers on Sunday and throughout the afternoon when up to one million spectators are expected to line the banks of the Thames to watch the Queen’s barge and 1,000 other boats sail from Putney to Tower Bridge.
However, the Queen and the rest of the royal family will be able to take shelter within the Spirit of Chartwell’s vast window-lined interior compartments and still observe the crowds and the festivities. The outlook for Monday and Tuesday is also wet with below average temperatures.
Huge swathes of the capital will be shut for the Jubilee. Half of The Mall is already closed and will remain so for the rest of the summer. The Mall and Constitution Hill will remain shut until June 13. The AA has warned that roads will become “almost impossible” on pageant day.
The river pageant will affect 13 bridges, with all closed to traffic for at least part of the day. Chelsea and Battersea bridges will be pedestrians only while traffic will be given restricted access to Vauxhall, Waterloo, Southwark and London bridges. Transport for London asked motorists to avoid central London and said buses would not be able to cross the river between Battersea and Tower bridges for most of the day.
