Swimming leg of triathlon cancelled over weather

The swimming leg of this year's Ironman 70.3 Weymouth has been cancelled

The swimming leg of a seaside town's annual triathlon event has been cancelled due to safety concerns over strong winds and heavy rain.

Ironman 70.3 Weymouth started from Lodmoor Country Park on Sunday morning with the 56-mile (90km) bike ride and a 13.1-mile (21km) run still in place.

But the 1.2-mile (1.9km) swim in Weymouth Bay will not go ahead as the adverse weather conditions are expected to worsen throughout the day.

Organisers at Ironman England said they had consulted with water safety officials and the medical team before making the decision to cancel the swim.

"The current forecast for the Weymouth and Dorset area indicates a weather event bringing stronger than average wind speeds, an unfavourable wind direction, and heavy rain, throughout race day," a post on social media from Ironman England added.

The post went on to advise participants that during the cycling leg they should "consider riding with additional gear such as toe covers, arm warmers and vests/windbreaker".

The BBC's weather forecast for Weymouth on Sunday said heavy rain had moved in from the south-west, which would be heaviest in the afternoon.

There could also be thunder at times and wind gusts could reach up to 70mph (112kph).

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for wind across many parts of England, including Dorset, which will be in place from 20:00 on Sunday until 18:00 on Monday.

People taking part in the event should have received an email with the updated race information.

Letters were also recently sent to 70,000 households in the area to inform residents about road closures being put in place during the race.

Dorset Council added diversions were not being suggested or signed due to them not being a mandatory requirement, but its highways team would provide support to drivers on the day.

The Beach and Overcombe car parks will be closed on Sunday, while Lodmoor main car park will be closed until 18:00 BST on Monday.

Lodmoor coach, multiuse and motorhome sections will also be closed until 18:00 on Tuesday.

The swimming leg of the Ironman event in Weymouth was previously cancelled in 2023 when the Met Office warned of electrical storms hitting and a month's worth of rain potentially falling in less than 24 hours.