Bring your wellies to the Games! Lord Coe warns Olympic visitors to prepare for a soggy time as forecasters predict MORE heavy rain TVBNOW 含有熱門話題,最新最快電視,軟體,遊戲,電影,動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。" f4 n. N5 W! M. Y; D; Y! U
By Phil Vinter
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8 h# [8 Y0 ]- h4 X# R% E5.39.217.76Unfortunately athletes arriving from warmer climes for the Olympics have so far failed to bring the sunshine and now Sebastian Coe is urging visitors to the games to bring their welllies and waterproofs.tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb5 f+ i* d2 Q4 D/ d$ C T( A: j5 K' d
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The chairman of the London 2012 organising committee Locog issued the pessimistic warning as dark clouds loomed ominously over London today and there are fears that if the bad weather continues many events might have to be rescheduled.
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Lord Coe said those with tickets to outdoor events should bear in mind that London is a 'northern European country' with unpredictable weather.
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3 w2 O$ T+ j0 B" Y' XTVBNOW 含有熱門話題,最新最快電視,軟體,遊戲,電影,動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。公仔箱論壇( {8 y. S( N/ g* f1 a
Worrying: There were dark clouds over the Olympic Stadium in London today and organisers are urging spectators to bring wellies and waterproofs for fear the Games will hit by heavy downpours/ g0 u! d. w. H1 N7 @% V
/ u/ E4 Q8 F7 Q: J- zTVBNOW 含有熱門話題,最新最快電視,軟體,遊戲,電影,動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。Rainfall has already left the Buckinghamshire rowing venue Eton Dorney and equestrian site Greenwich Park waterlogged.1 j9 [$ a& M$ t9 n
Temporary surfaces have been laid to allow vehicles and pedestrians to travel around the sites safely and shelters have been built for workers at the affected venues.
0 E: m3 b j, S. K" w. \5.39.217.76TVBNOW 含有熱門話題,最新最快電視,軟體,遊戲,電影,動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。! k# n' I/ u/ F6 j. l
Lord Coe told a press conference at the Olympic Park in Stratford, East London: 'I have joked in the past about putting a roof across the whole country.
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: B' t' T& a; }3 D公仔箱論壇'But let's be clear, this is actually proving quite a challenge to us.公仔箱論壇; h$ H$ M6 a# x- m
'At the risk of sounding a little bit like a father about to issue their kids off an outward bound trip, let me make the obvious point that we are a northern European country.
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" Y3 o/ z( v; |8 I/ p5.39.217.76'People do need to be wearing the right footwear, the right rainproof clothing and sun screen.' 0 S8 w/ w8 c& N; [
TVBNOW 含有熱門話題,最新最快電視,軟體,遊戲,電影,動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。; ~ G W$ y/ K$ l0 Y" ^) S& C
Lord Coe added that contingency plans will enable events such as rowing and equestrian sports to run across extra days if they are rained off.
, x( d* `4 E: k! ?/ j( r'That is the last resort of course. We have an alternative sailing course available to us in Weymouth and we have of course got the famous roof at Wimbledon. V) n: l( o9 b3 R
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'Then for those hardy souls that normally reside in track and field, hockey and triathlon, it is pretty much business as usual.' , b1 y, [5 b5 y! _1 `3 L
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% E8 U8 w' _) g5.39.217.76Dark times: The Olympic hockey arena was shrouded in dark clouds today as the Australian women's hockey team were going through their paces
9 k3 [( \+ k1 z* R3 h% pTVBNOW 含有熱門話題,最新最快電視,軟體,遊戲,電影,動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。
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- R+ E0 O" d7 i& E1 pTVBNOW 含有熱門話題,最新最快電視,軟體,遊戲,電影,動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。Illuminating: The sky above was so dark that the floodlights had to be put on in the hockey stadium to enable the players to see clearly. Forecasters said there was 'a glimmer of hope' that the weather during the games might brighten up
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3 Z8 g+ o( d1 E* `" \Spectacle: There are now just ten days to go until the start of the Olympics and Lord Coe said those with tickets to outdoor events should bear in mind that London is a 'northern European country' with unpredictable weather
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: ^1 Y) J8 f% P5 B @" \$ ]9 ~, utvb now,tvbnow,bttvbBoys in blue: Police officers patrol near the Olympic stadium today. HBad weather could also make policing the even more tricky公仔箱論壇0 W1 ~- K& v$ T( d4 M
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. f& E6 Z$ P \$ b I" ^Good luck charm? A statue of Olympic mascot Mandeville photographed in the middle of London today as the grey clouds loomed abovetvb now,tvbnow,bttvb w: K& r1 [+ ~- P
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Trackways and temporary surfaces were being laid down for vehicles and pedestrians to travel across while additional shelters were being built for workers at the affected sites.5.39.217.76( j' M1 [* Z# D
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But he added that the Olympics were still on schedule and the cost of the wet weather was included in the overall contingency budget for the Games.tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb1 ]5 J5 m6 z# |9 _: H9 U7 Z
6 S2 l% z0 R4 gTVBNOW 含有熱門話題,最新最快電視,軟體,遊戲,電影,動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。The wettest period of April to June on record, followed by more heavy rain so far this month, has caused widespread - and in some cases, repeated - flooding in many areas of the country.
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* ], W" e3 a" e- n2 Z: o- J5.39.217.76The period from April to June has been the wettest on record, leading to fears that dozens of sessions could be rained off.
# a* z: S6 S- v公仔箱論壇Forecasters at MeteoGroup said it was too early to predict the weather during the Games, although there was a 'glimmer of hope' that it might brighten up.
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The long-range forecast from the Met Office is predicting that the south of the UK may see 'some brighter, warmer weather' in time for the opening ceremony, ten days from now.
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The jet stream is expected to move north leaving London room for better spells to hit the south.TVBNOW 含有熱門話題,最新最快電視,軟體,遊戲,電影,動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。. O7 W/ `0 A! }" K. R! {
However, the shifting weather patterns may lead to continued unsettled weather in the north of England and Scotland where公仔箱論壇3 h$ n8 t0 p d9 N5 u8 u- _
; a( _ ^) n/ Z, q2 w$ |The Met Office long-range forecast published on Monday said the weather would remain changeable next week, but the worst conditions could shift north. - \2 R1 e F( {: t7 \
7 a# N, k3 V0 M2 c; jTVBNOW 含有熱門話題,最新最快電視,軟體,遊戲,電影,動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。In its forecast for the week ending Sunday 29 July it said: 'There are now signs that the unsettled weather will become more focused towards northern and western parts of the United Kingdom. This will result in drier, more settled conditions in the south with some brighter, warmer weather.' 5.39.217.76% b/ ~2 m$ E- e4 d: ~# C! C& |
3 S0 m6 i9 \5 m. Q5.39.217.76The country is due some sun, so far the UK has seen just a quarter (26%) of the average amount of sunshine for the whole month. The average temperature has been 13.7C, which is 1.1C lower than the average for July.) ?" w9 w, _$ B, A2 ?' i
. p" \! R9 y4 V1 b, Ytvb now,tvbnow,bttvbThree venues in the north of England - Old Trafford, St James' Park and The City of Coventry Stadium - are hosting games during the Olympics as well as Hampden Park in Scotland.公仔箱論壇4 ?, h# @" |" }# T; h; H
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WITH TEN DAYS TO GO UNTIL THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH KICKS OFF 700,000 TICKETS HAVE STILL NOT BEEN SOLD
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! W: ? o. h2 Y7 q7 cConcern: Around 700,000 tickets for the Olympics are still unsold with just 10 days before the Games start, Olympics chiefs admitted5.39.217.76( j7 w0 Z+ b' h( a. o$ B
9 c% e& O! F& D! ]TVBNOW 含有熱門話題,最新最快電視,軟體,遊戲,電影,動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。Around 700,000 tickets for the Olympics are still unsold with just 10 days before the Games start, Olympics chiefs admitted.
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1 N6 N$ A2 K: |6 u) g4 i7 l公仔箱論壇And there are so many spare tickets for football that organisers plan to reduce capacity at some games by removing blocks of seating, it emerged last night.tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb0 M1 v' A/ F3 e y3 k5 ^8 J
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Of the 700,000 tickets yet to be sold, 400,000 have been returned by Olympics committees around the world.
& J" @# n) [( v/ a5 {- S( @7 GTVBNOW 含有熱門話題,最新最快電視,軟體,遊戲,電影,動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。
n3 P, s5 z% ETVBNOW 含有熱門話題,最新最快電視,軟體,遊戲,電影,動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。Some of these may have been highly sought after tickets to popular events, such as swimming and athletics, which few British fans have been able to buy.& E, K/ A$ C8 w2 k0 J( S
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But Locog have admitted that some of these are on sale to corporate sponsors instead of the British public- meaning that, once again, the public could struggle to get the best tickets.
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The unsold seats will be offered to the public at the last minute via the Locog ticketing website but organisers still don't know exactly how many will be put yp for sale.$ e; J$ B8 { h
% \0 a& X* U+ C8 C5 C* v- `5 Ytvb now,tvbnow,bttvbSelling tickets for football events has been a major struggle for Olympics chiefs.tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb1 r( A! g$ z: ^ v- _
4 Y- R- ^& t( O$ R& Ctvb now,tvbnow,bttvbOriginally, they were left with more than a million spare tickets - a number they have reduced by half by cutting capacity.TVBNOW 含有熱門話題,最新最快電視,軟體,遊戲,電影,動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。4 l) [7 ]9 I% X: f s
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The action was taken after fears that the first event of London 2012 could be played in front of an almost empty stadium.
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/ i5 N# e+ z$ HTVBNOW 含有熱門話題,最新最快電視,軟體,遊戲,電影,動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。Just 11,000 tickets were originally sold for the British women's football match against New Zealand on July 25, two days before the opening ceremony.
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( D; `" g; \1 y6 |1 \TVBNOW 含有熱門話題,最新最快電視,軟體,遊戲,電影,動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。A spokesman for Locog said: 'We are planning to reduce capacity across the venues by up to 500,000 tickets across the tournament.3 b# U3 M* C! S3 Q1 [, L5 A
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'This will involve possibly not using a tier, or an area of a ground, in some of the venues. This can apply to men's and women's football, if necessary.'
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Ticketing policies for the Olympics have proved hugely controversial, with many fans unable to get the tickets they wanted.
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: ~6 V' Q! \5 Z. X; l: `$ ?; g5.39.217.76After the first ballot it emerged that fewer than half the seats for some showpiece events had ever been earmarked for the public - with the majority given away as 'freebies' to a parade of corporate sponsors, Olympic bigwigs and their VIP guests.公仔箱論壇' U% G' q5 j5 r
! `5 ^" ]! i5 n; ^$ Y) ^* WWith the weather showing no sign of improving today athletes getting settled in at the multi-million pound Olympic village took the opportunity to try out some of the cuisine in the dining hall.
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& x% r3 f s! ]7 ]8 b" D1 }tvb now,tvbnow,bttvbGold medal swimming hopeful Rebecca Adlington gave followers on her Twitter account a sneak look inside the food hall when she tweeted a photo of her with teammate David Parry enjoying the facilities.3 u1 Q( p Z1 w3 g, i, v2 }+ g' h
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And as competitors from across the world began draping national flags from their windows, teenage diving star Tom Daly also took to Twitter to post a photo of him with fellow GB members at the Olympic village.
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! B6 P* ]+ r- O+ n7 VTVBNOW 含有熱門話題,最新最快電視,軟體,遊戲,電影,動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。However, while the banter within the village appears to be friendly, a German news magazine has launched scathing attack on Britain's preparations for the Games, saying it is likely to become an 'Olympic-sized disaster'.
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9 b6 A. y0 S) U/ B7 X6 Z5 V! ^$ wtvb now,tvbnow,bttvbDer Spiegel criticises everything, from the 'clattering' Underground system which will transport most spectators, to pavements which are 'too narrow' and passport control at Heathrow bordering on chaotic.
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1 i4 ^. I( Z& }# n* F9 x* k0 MThe Germans, whose last efforts at hosting the Olympics saw Israeli athletes murdered in Munich in a security fiasco in 1972, say London is destined to go down in history as a gigantic 'soggy mess'.& C/ D, |" m0 S* ]. ?
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Keeping out of the rain: Rebecca Adlington with fellow GB swimmer David Carry sample the food in the dining room at the Olympic village where the athletes will go for their meals
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$ H& D H7 e6 R/ \8 U1 o) a'London and the Olympic Games are clearly not made for each other,' says the journal. 'Visitors will need determination and, most of all, patience to reach the venues at all. And, for the locals, it all can't end soon enough.
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'It's already clear that the London Olympics will be an arduous obstacle course for everyone.
, y5 z4 R2 D' E* i/ k( eTVBNOW 含有熱門話題,最新最快電視,軟體,遊戲,電影,動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。
* \0 O8 a+ r5 t) E2 r$ V7 `/ y'The world's biggest financial centre will be gripped by a special condition usually seen only in wartime. Its 7.8million inhabitants are about to be joined by an average of 1million additional visitors per day. 7 L1 N) c) Q% Y+ o% Q
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'The already overloaded public transport system will be burdened with an additional 3million fares per day. A total of 109 miles of the city's streets will be closed off to normal traffic. tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb% n9 ?' E* V; @# K4 l
9 Q* \, `5 W3 S, ]5 z# R公仔箱論壇'Almost twice as many soldiers as Britain has in Afghanistan, a helicopter carrier and special forces units armed to the teeth will make the city look like it's under siege.
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'And then there's England's classic bad weather, which has some wondering whether the Summer Games will turn into a fiasco. The weather has been cold, wet and gloomy since the spring, with last month proving to be the wettest June on record.TVBNOW 含有熱門話題,最新最快電視,軟體,遊戲,電影,動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。& O+ w8 c; ]. r3 t2 k" h
* x7 V* K" m' H7 L'The meteorologists' Olympic forecasts are nothing short of dismal: rain, rain and, yes, more rain. And it won't just be falling on the athletes, but also on the highest-priced seats in the Olympic Stadium. Optimistic planners decided not to cover those seats, unlike the rest of them.'$ |" F" B$ b' A1 Q
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: @+ d9 @/ J# s ZHigh divers: A tracksuit-clad Tom Daly and his diving teammates at the Olympic village in Stratford today as the final countdown to the games begins公仔箱論壇! T% R) U9 D2 q5 {7 I# W q
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In a long and rambling article, Der Spiegel attacks most aspects of London – and British – life.TVBNOW 含有熱門話題,最新最快電視,軟體,遊戲,電影,動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。6 |9 k+ b+ w, d) a6 [
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Even youngsters come in for criticism: 'And the children? They haven't become athletes, either. On the contrary, the boys and girls of the British Isles are among the fattest in the European Union. London's poor East End now has an Olympic Park and the largest shopping centre in the EU – but it's still poor.
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'Though London has many natural gifts, they aren't of the kind that makes it ideal to host such a major event. And because Great Britain is both a debt-ridden and democratic country, it wasn't possible to radically reshape London for the event, as the Chinese did with Beijing in 2008.TVBNOW 含有熱門話題,最新最快電視,軟體,遊戲,電影,動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。3 Q, l# `' R* G
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'The 2012 London Olympics will probably end up looking like the host city itself: a little chaotic, a little infuriating, never perfect, but with a lot of room for improvisation, charm and talent.
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4 v' J! j4 M! c公仔箱論壇'Those who live there will be delighted, of course, but only once it's over.'
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Getting closer: Kathy Gore, was one of the lucky people chosen to carry the Olympic torch today as the flame creeps closer towards its final destination in London
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/ i" _" R+ s* v1 B3 A5 b5 ktvb now,tvbnow,bttvbSky times: Olympic Games mascot Wenlock poses outside an overcast Houses of Parliament today
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/ s) U0 T7 i- q$ E+ y3 O" t公仔箱論壇Sky ride: The orbit cut a dark figure today during previews ahead of the Games
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" s) w& l- A h7 Stvb now,tvbnow,bttvbView from above: The dreary conditions made for a poor view of the city from the Olympic Emirates Air Cable Cars, which criss cross the River Thames in east London0 r0 o" ^( {( m
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Nice way to ride: The cable car covers a distance of 1,100 metres over the River Thames from the North Woolwich Peninsula to Royal Victoria Dock |