As the 02:00 GMT start had already been brought forward, and time can be added on after play, we haven't actually lost any overs yet with this delay.

Image source, Getty Images

Those four leaf blowers should dry that pitch out in a matter of days...

England coach Trevor Bayliss on BT Sport: "When we arrived you could see a few small wet pitches on the wicket. It's still a little bit soft. You can still push the finger in.

"They are doing as much as they can to dry it out. We need a little bit of sunshine. We're more than happy to do what the umpires say. In the end it's up to the umpires."

Yep, here comes another shower.

Still no word of a possible start time. It's got to stop raining first of course!

This is the 192nd day of Test cricket at the Waca. There has never been one rained off...

Stephan Shemilt
BBC Sport in Perth

Image source, BBC Sport

The most important patch of turf in Australia. Just as the umpires come out, it starts raining again.

Australian wicket keeper Tim Paine on ABC: "I threw the curtains open this morning and was disappointed with what I saw but hopefully it will clear up.

"If it rains, so be it. We've been playing really good cricket. Today we'd like to go out and win the Ashes.

"This partnership of Malan and Bairstow is crucial. We've seen what we can do to their tail."

Geoffrey Boycott
Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special

They cocked up. It's their job to make sure it's secure - it's as simple as that. They have made a big, big error. It's no good saying the wind blew the covers off. Do it better.

With the amount of covering that's around in world cricket, they have got everything - tarpaulins that cover the whole square. The covers we have in England are fantastic.

Steve L: How village is this then?! The pitch is wetter than an otter's pocket....

David Wallace: Hmmmm. I'm locked into daytime sleeping now. Any suggestions as to what to do while waiting for the rain to clear?

Watch as the England women's cricket team picks up the award for Team of the Year at Sports Personality of the Year 2017.

England might lose the Ashes but we have better covers. Fact.

We still have some groundstaff blowing hot air on to the pitch with what look like leafblowers. Not sure that's going to do much!

Image source, Getty Images

Pitch chaos in Perth then - changeable weather as it looks sunny as anything right now.

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Vic Marks
Ex-England spinner on BBC Test Match Special

What can happen if you play on a damp pitch is that the ball can grip as it dries out. It can go from benign to impossible to play on. That was on onld pitches though.

This pitch was rock hard last night. We don't know how much water has got on there so I suspect it will still be hard but you never quite know how it will react.

Would the umpires need the pitch to be back to its position that it was in last night? Or will they say 'that's dry enough?'

If you're Joe Root, given the match situation, you'd demand that the pitch is the same as it was.

Image source, Getty Images

Stephan Shemilt
BBC Sport in Perth

Covers coming off. Everyone coming back out. I hope you're keeping up.

Umpire Marais Erasmus on BT Sport: "There was a bit of leakage overnight so they're doing a bit of a drying job with the blowers. We're confident with a little bit of work we can fix that."

Umpire Chris Gaffaney: "There is a damp patch on a length at one end. I guess it was from where the covers join."

I'm just seeing pictures of the covers being blown across the Waca by a gust of wind earlier on. You can tell that they don't get much rain in Perth. That wouldn't happen at Headingley.

The covers are back on - the start of play has been delayed.

No start time given yet.

Stephan Shemilt
BBC Sport in Perth

Bairstow, Malan (one-padded), Woakes and Moeen in the nets. "There's a shower coming," said Bairstow. He was right, too.

Image source, BBC Sport