The Open at St Andrews weather: Mercury to hit mid-20s as competitors tee off

Spectators flocking to St Andrews for the 150th Open this weekend can expect temperatures in the mid-20s.

Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to descend on St Andrews throughout the seven-day competition, one of the biggest live events Fife has ever hosted.

The tournament’s special anniversary is also expected to enjoy the best Fife has to offer in terms of weather.

Met Office experts are predicting warm, sunny days in their initial forecasts, with highs of up to 23ºC over the weekend and early next week.

Although The Open practice starts at St Andrews Links on Sunday, the official tournament element of the event, where competitors will compete for the £2.1m first-place prize, begins on Thursday.

The current five-day weather forecast from the agency, the says Sunday will be dry and sunny with only light winds.

The mercury is expected to hover around 20ºC throughout the day, with highs of 23ºC around 4pm.

Spectators will be able to see the action well with “very good visibility” forecast.

Full weather forecast for The Open in St Andrews

The longer-range forecasts for next week predict similarly warm weather, although it is expected to be cloudier overall.

Monday July 11

A cloudy, warm start to the week is expected on Monday, with temperatures predicted to hit around 23ºC between 4 and 7pm.

Winds will be light, blowing south-westerly between nine and 11mph. Gusts could reach 21mph.

Tuesday July 12

More of the same is expected Tuesday, with only a small chance of rain.

The day will start with temperatures of around 17ºC, rising to around 21ºC from 1pm onwards. Wind gusts are predicted to reach around 24mph.

Wednesday July 13

The day will start cloudy at around 9am, with the sun expected to come out around 1pm as temperatures build to their predicted high of 19ºC by mid-afternoon.

Spectators and golfers alike would be well advised to pack sun cream, with a high UV rating of 6 forecast.

Thursday July 14

The first official day of the tournament will start with a light cloud and temperatures of around 14ºC, building to a high of 18ºC later in the day.

Friday July 15

Similar to Thursday, with light cloud and a moderate breeze. Temperatures to reach a slightly warmer 19ºC.

Saturday 16 July

An increased chance of rain throughout the day, increasing to around a 22% risk of showers in the early evening. Similarly warm, with highs of 19ºC.

Sunday 17 July 

The final day of the competition will see light clouds dominate for most of the day, although it is likely to be slightly warmer than Saturday with the mercury expected to hit 20ºC.