Edinburgh's International Women's Day Swimrise at Portobello Beach cancelled due to freezing weather conditions

Edinburgh swim event for International Women's Day cancelled due to adverse weather

An organised sunrise swim on Portobello Beach will no longer go ahead, due to cold weather conditions.

Organisers of the ‘International Womens Day Swimrise’ were forced to cancel the event at the last minute. Women were expected to flock to the beach at 6.45am on Wednesday, March 8. However, after advice from the RNLI, organisers have decided it is not safe for the event to go ahead. A yellow weather warning for snow and ice will be in place in Edinburgh and the Lothians on Wednesday, from midnight to 10am. According to the Met Office, temperatures are forecast to drop below freezing, with a high of 2C and a low of -2C.

Last year, around 700 women braved the icy waters of Portobello Beach for the event, which raised over £8,000 for charity.

Sunrise swim at Portobello Beach for International Women's Day cancelled due to extreme cold weather. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

In a Facebook post, organisers wrote: “Due to the extreme cold weather forecast for tomorrow and in consultation with a member of the RNLI safety team, we are sorry to say we have made the difficult decision to cancel the International Women’s Day swimrise dip tomorrow morning. Temperatures are so low that we feel it should no longer go ahead. We have no doubt that there will be some groups of regular swimmers who will still celebrate IWD with a gathering on the shore at dawn to watch the sun rise or a dip, in aid of Women’s Aid, and we will still do so ourselves, but a big gathering now seems too risky. We send you love and wish you all a very happy International Women’s Day in advance.”