Gusty winds from Storm Hannah to linger for Sunday's 2019 London Marathon

By Eric Leister, AccuWeather senior meteorologist

By Kristina Pydynowski, AccuWeather senior meteorologist

While the worst of the rain and wind associated with Storm Hannah will have left London, racers may still have to deal with gusty winds for the 2019 London Marathon.

The 26.2-mile course will take runners from St. John's Park throughout London before ending near St. James Palace.

More than 40,000 runners crossed the finish line of the 2018 event, the highest number of participants in the first 38 years of the event. Similar numbers are expected this year, along with hundreds of thousands of spectators.

Last year's race featured unseasonable warmth with a high temperature of 23.2 C (73.8 F) in London, making it the hottest London Marathon on record.

This year, runners can expect cooler conditions with temperatures climbing from around 8 C (48 F) at the start of the event to 14 C (57 F) during the afternoon hours. The normal high in London in late April is 14.4 C (58 F).

Kenya's Eliud Kipchoge reacts after crossing the finish line to win the Men's race in the London Marathon in central London, Sunday, April 22, 2018.(AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

While Storm Hannah delivered some rain to London on Saturday, drier weather is expected to dominate on Sunday with a few sunny breaks.

Whilst an odd shower cannot be ruled out, London should be in between any rain lingering from the storm in South East England and another band of rain dampening the southwestern United Kingdom on Sunday.

The racing will get underway at 9:05 a.m., local time, with the Elite Wheelchair Races. The start of the Mass Race is set for 10:10 a.m., local time.

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The biggest impact to racers will be a moderate to fresh breeze with gusts to 30 mph (48 km/h).

Winds will be blowing from the northwest, which means that runners will have to deal with a head wind at times.

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