Open Championship weather updates: Latest Royal Troon forecast news at British Open 2024 as rain predicted

Playing golf in bad weather isn't easy. Playing golf in the U.K., even during summer — no, especially during summer — is downright difficult.

Weather is always a hurdle when planning a major golf event. There's no controlling Mother Nature, nor is there an indoor golf option, or a retractable roof of the kind that has spared Wimbledon's most important matches in recent years.

Sometimes, it just takes luck for a golf championship to avoid any delays or interruptions. That becomes a lot trickier when you stage a major at Royal Troon in South Ayrshire, Scotland, during one of the most unsettled summers in Britain of the 21st Century.

While the conditions have been difficult to predict with precision, rain is definitely expected at the event this week, which runs from July 18 until July 21. Here's how the latest forecast looks.

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Open Championship weather forecast: Latest Royal Troon outlook

Thursday, July 18 forecast

Rain has fallen in the early part of the week in South Ayrshire, as can be seen from some of the practice footage from The Open. The same weather pattern is expected to continue for the first round on Thursday.

While Wednesday is expected to see longer spells of sunshine and a reduced chance of the odd rain shower, cloud cover is set to build in the evening ahead of Thursday's first round.

Outbreaks of rain, possibly heavy, are likely all day, and the wind could be gusting at 25 mph. High temperatures of 64 F (18 C) are forecast.

Play starts on Thursday at 6:35 a.m. local time (1:35 a.m. ET), and those out early are likely to be met with rainy and chilly conditions.

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Friday, July 19 forecast

Organisers are predicting "likely a continuation of unsettled conditions" for the week, meaning periods of rain and sunny intervals are a distinct possibility on Friday. Temperatures are expected to be much the same, although they could climb a little during clearer skies.

Saturday, July 20 forecast

Light rain is predicted to fall for much of Saturday's play, but it is expected to clear in the late afternoon. Players may notice a slight fall in temperature, but the wind speed looks likely to stay consistent.

Sunday, July 21 forecast

As things stand, rain is less likely for the final round, although the wind might pick up a little. This could make for something of a challenging last day. Again, with conditions so unsettled, things may change between now and the first Sunday tee times.