MELBOURNE, Jan 27 (Reuters) - ‌Organisers, players and fans alike were bracing for another day ‌of blistering heat at the Australian Open on Tuesday as ‌temperatures were forecast to soar well above 40 degrees Centigrade (104 degrees Fahrenheit) at Melbourne Park.

Queues for entry into the venue were much shorter than usual and crowds were largely absent ‍from concourses across the sprawling venue, where the ‍latest edition of the season's ‌opening Grand Slam has been watched by record numbers.