Olympics-Cool, clear start for women's marathon

BEIJING, Aug 17 (Reuters) - Olympics host city Beijing was cool and overcast on Sunday, day nine of the Games, as the women marathon runners got off to an early start in Tiananmen Square.

China's capital will be mostly cloudy, with light winds and temperatures of 22 to 27 degrees Celsius (72-81 degrees Fahrenheit), the Beijing Meteorological Bureau said on its website (www.bjmb.gov.cn).

The bureau forecast showers for later in the day.

Bouts of heavy rain played havoc on Thursday, forcing a string of outdoor sports, including tennis and rowing, to reschedule.

But the heavy haze that blanketed the city at the start of the Games has lifted and the air quality on Saturday was classified by the China Environmental Monitoring Centre as level one, or excellent.

Hong Kong, host to Olympic equestrian events, will be dry clear with a maximum temperature expected of about 32 degrees Celsius.

Qingdao, the sailing host city where medal races are scheduled for Sunday, is expecting rain and temperatures of 20-23 degrees Celsius.

(Reporting by Ralph Jennings; Editing by Nick Macfie)

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