Heavy rain forecast for thousands lining up to see Queen in state

Early morning rain and wind will hit lines of people waiting to see the queen lying in state.

The coffin of the late monarch will be on display at Westminster Hall, where thousands will come and pay their respects.

The building opens to the public at 5pm on Wednesday and will be open 24 hours a day until it closes at 6:30am on September 19 – the day of the Queen’s funeral.

Many have already secured a spot in queues near the Thames to ensure they are among the first to pay tribute.

But those waiting in line will have a difficult morning when it comes to the forecast weather.

Forecasters have warned that “spells of locally heavy rain will continue into morning” in London.

Those waiting to see the Queen’s coffin have been urged to dress appropriately and bring enough layers.

While those who claim a spot in the queue early in the morning could be hit by the rain, those arriving in the afternoon avoid the worst of the weather.

The rain will ease and clouds will give way to sunshine in the evening, according to BBC forecasters.

It is predicted that tomorrow there will be tens of thousands of queues stretching up to five miles across the city.

People have to stand “many hours, possibly overnight” and have very little opportunity to sit down as the queue is constantly moving.

As large crowds are to be expected, road closures and delays in local public transport are to be expected.

People are not allowed to camp and a wristband system is used to manage the queue, with those waiting given a colored and numbered one specific to each person to allow them to leave for a short time.

Venues such as the Southbank Centre, the National Theater and Shakespeare’s Globe will be open longer to accommodate queues.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “Many people will understandably want to see how the state is and we will do everything we can to help as many people as possible, including those who may not be able to wait that long, with physical disabilities, for example .’

The line is managed by more than 1,000 volunteers, stewards and police officers.

St. John Ambulance members will also be stationed along the route, while more than a hundred Boy Scouts, between the ages of 18 and 25, will be helping volunteers from the charity Samaritans.

Dating from 1099, Westminster Hall is in the Palace of Westminster and is the oldest building on the Parliamentary estate.

The building has been the scene of important events such as the trial of Charles I, coronation banquets and addresses by world leaders.

Now more history will be made as thousands gather to pay their last respects to the Queen.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, Visit our news page.