Hold on to your hats (and your hemlines)! Ascot ladies battle with the wind as gales blowing through Royal course play havoc with race day outfits

By DEBORAH ARTHURS

Stiff breeze: A racegoer struggles with her umbrella in strong winds

As howling winds hit Royal Ascot today, race goers in their race day finery were forced to hold on to their hats as gusts of wind threatened to send them soaring across the parade ground.
Girls in floaty dresses came a cropper as strong gusts lifted up their hemlines, revealing a dress code-flouting expanse of leg - and on some occasions, even their underwear.
Brollies were wrestled back into shape after turning inside out, and carefully blow-dried hair was whipped into tangled birds' nests.
Given that this was the fourth day of inclement weather at the Royal meet, punters were well-prepared for the rain - but little could prepare them for the gales.

A racegoer's hat flies off in strong winds on the fourth day of racing at Royal Ascot

Thar she blows! A lady struggles with her hat as it wraps itself around her face

Even the Queen, who has sew small curtain weights into the hemlines of her coats and dresses to prevent them being caught by the wind and would no doubt have had plenty of hat pins in place put a hand to the brim of her hat as she entered the windy parade ground in her carriage
The Queen arrived at 2pm in the royal procession to take her place in the royal box from where she will watch her three-year-old thoroughbred Estimate run in the 5pm Queen's Vase.
Wardrobe malfunctions aside, the parade of extravagant headgear and colourful outfits cut a swathe through the gloom as the determined flock of racegoers carried on regardless, sipping champagne and queuing at the totes to place their bets.

Battling forth: The hat's off and the umbrella providing shelter for this woman

Blowing a gale: A strong gust lifts up a lady's coat and threatens to remove her hat, while RIGHT, a fascinator takes flight

Some had swapped their heels for Wellington boots after a shower hit the race course this morning, while others sheltered under the brims of their hats.
At yesterday's Ladies Day, afternoon downpours saw race goers sheltering under umbrellas or dashing for cover to protect their hats. Soggy and dispirited, some admitted the ‘awful’ weather had been a ‘real disappointment’.
In truly British style though, the show went on, and fun was had by all.
For today, forecasters warned that there is little let-up in sight, with the wet weather set to stick around throughout the weekend and into Wimbledon week.

Accessories away: The breeze sends these racegoers' pashminas flying

England and Wales are on course for the wettest and least sunny June since records began more than 230 years ago.
There are now nine flood alerts in place across the UK – most in the South West – and the figure could soon rise as the heavy rain continues.
To add to the misery, 50mph winds are set to blow in from the Atlantic at the weekend.
Temperatures, forecasters say, could struggle to reach more than 15C (59F).

Careful! Guests gripped their floaty hemlines tightly to prevent them flying up

Left, if this gent was keeping with Scottish sartorial tradition he will no doubt be keen to hold onto his hemline. RIGHT A gentleman's top hat comes a cropper