Thunderstorms and showers possible before start of York's Ebor festival

Thunderstorms and showers could hit York before the four-day Ebor festival starts on Wednesday, raising the possibility of an ease in the ground.

The going is currently good to firm following another dry week, with the last rainfall coming at the track when 2mm fell on August 5, but a nationwide yellow weather warning has been issued by the Met Office for Monday and Tuesday and officials are prepared for all outcomes ahead of the meeting.

York's chief executive and clerk of the course William Derby said: "It's a changing picture. It's hard for the forecasters to judge as the weather system we've all been enjoying breaks down, but the thunderstorms could be around us.

"By nature they're hit and miss, and then on Tuesday they're more regular rain showers passing through the region. There's a possibility if we get rain on Tuesday we'll ease slightly from where we are at the moment.

"We've made sure that we can take the rain and have been irrigating this week to keep it as nice, fast ground. We're anticipating the different weather system that'll take hold on Tuesday."

While York is not in one of the eight drought-affected regions in England currently, the track has still endured a significantly dry spell and has applied 19mm of water over the last week, with conditions during the Ebor meeting set to be largely dry too.

"It's been a dry period, but we've got a great irrigation system that we can deploy at night, so that we're losing less water than we put on to the elements. We did 3mm on Saturday night, which took it to 19mm over the last week," Derby added.

"We've had a hot Sunday and most of the day Monday is forecast to be so too before the thunderstorm risks and rain, when it'll be a very different feel in terms of being cool and cloudy.

"The outlook for Wednesday to Saturday is cool and cloudy too and largely dry, with a possibility of some showers."

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