Beijing woke to a cool but overcast morning on day three of the Olympics Monday after thunderstorms cleared the haze that shrouded the city last week.

The comfortable weather lasted through the day, and the temperature only managed to climb as high as 27 C.

Air quality was also good, as had been previously forecast. The municipal environmental protection bureau reported that the air pollution index for Beijing remained below 50, indicating good air quality.

Forecasters said the cool weather will continue, easing fears that heat and humidity would make conditions intolerable for athletes competing outside air-conditioned venues.

"For both today and tomorrow, Beijing will see cloudy skies, with the mercury hitting 31 C at most," said an expert from Beijing Meteorological Center.

"There will be no rain for those two days, but stifling heat is highly unlikely."

On Saturday, a third of cyclists dropped out of the men's road race due to the stuffy weather.

Thunderstorms doused the capital on Sunday and early Monday morning, forcing women cyclists to cope with cold, slippery conditions instead of the heat they expected.

A spokesman for the Games said Monday that some events originally penciled in for Sunday had been postponed or rescheduled due to the heavy rain.

Sun Weide, a media official with the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG), told a press conference that tennis, archery and rowing were among the events affected by the poor weather conditions.

While some rowing events and 37 tennis matches were rescheduled to take place Monday, some archery events were delayed but concluded later on Sunday, Sun added.

But as weather reports also forecast rain for Beijing and some of the co-host cities Monday, Sun said: "We will continue to monitor the weather conditions and adjust accordingly."

He also said that the organizers would try their best to inform the public of any adjustments to the Games' schedule.

"If spectators feel inconvenienced due to rescheduling, they can ask for a refund," he added.

Forecasters said the capital should expect drizzle over the weekend, while moderate to heavy rain may hit Beijing early next week.

The average temperature in Beijing during the Games is expected to match the average of 25 C for August seen in the last three decades, experts said.

The National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest, is seen reflected after rainfall in Beijing, August 10, 2008. [Agencies]

(China Daily August 12, 2008)