Bad weather disrupts Rio Olympics

Bad weather is not something you normally associate with Rio de Janeiro at this time of year. The sub-tropical city usually enjoys fine weather during August.

There is an average of seven hours of sunshine each day, temperatures hover around 24 Celsius, and just seven days with measurable rainfall occur during the month.

Unfortunately, the averages went out of the window on Wednesday, as strong wind and heavy rain caused interruptions to the Olympic programme.

Tennis, rowing, kayaking and beach volleyball events were all affected.

August is part of the southern winter, and a polar front can often be found across Paraguay and southern Brazil. It is this feature which gave the strong winds and rain.

Fortunately, the prospect for the coming days is somewhat improved, with a return to blue skies and temperatures rising into the high 20s from Sunday.