Temperatures will soar again today to 77F (25C) as more summery weather tempts Britons outside as coronavirus lockdown restrictions continue to be eased.
Councils and police forces are braced for beaches and parks to be packed again today following a scorching Bank Holiday Monday which saw crowds flock to beauty spots across the country amid concerns over social distancing.
Conditions are expected to stay warm for the whole week in the UK – especially in South East England, where the mercury got up to 80F (27C) yesterday – and could rise further to 82F (28C) by the weekend.
Sunrise at Mogshade Pond in The New Forest in Hampshire this morning at the start of another warm and sunny day
Sunrise at Mogshade Pond in the New Forest in Hampshire this morning on another warm day for Britain
A Met Office spokesman said: ‘On the whole, with the exception of a couple of blips, the week ahead is going to be largely dry with plenty of sunny spells. It’s not good news if you’re after rain, but other than that it’s good news.
‘Today will start with odd spells but through the course of the day most of that rain will have fizzled out. It will be quite widely across the 20Cs today, with the possibility of much warmer temperatures in the South East.
‘Lots of dry weather for the second half of the week with plenty of sunshine. For the weekend coming up we may even see higher than 28C. For many of us this week will be largely dry, lots of sunny spells and feeling very warm.’
Yesterday, police were called to a lido in North London amid reports of one large group gathering, while people were also warned not to overcrowd beaches as sunseekers made the most of the fine weather.
With schools in England, Scotland and Wales on a half-term break this week, large numbers of people are expected to emerge from lockdown amid warm conditions.
Crowds of people gather on Southend seafront in Essex yesterday on a hot and sunny May Bank Holiday Monday
People make their way down steps yesterday to enjoy the hot weather at Durdle Door beach in West Lulworth, Dorset
People enjoy the hot weather at Bournemouth beach in Dorset yesteday amid concerns over social distancing
There will be more warm weather in the South today, where people flocked to Bournemouth beach yesterday, prompting the council to remind people there were ‘other less busy but equally lovely open spaces to enjoy’.
Aside from some rain for the far north and north-west tomorrow, for the rest of the week the weather in most parts of the country will be dry, largely sunny, and very warm, the Met Office said.
A week after the relaxation of guidelines to allow people to visit beauty spots in England, the Government and the police have urged people to continue to follow social distancing guidelines.
‘Please use common sense when it comes to social distancing,’ the Metropolitan Police’s Hillingdon branch tweeted.
Many said they felt their decision to travel to beauty spots had been justified by Dominic Cumming’s 260-mile trip to Durham during lockdown and the Prime Minister’s subsequent support for his actions.
Apart from crowds at beaches yesterday, long stretches of traffic were also seen at the Yorkshire Dales, while walkers were also out enjoying the grounds of Windsor Castle.
While new cases and deaths from coronavirus have fallen nationally, a hospital in Somerset was forced to close this weekend due to a high number of Covid-19 patients.
Weston General Hospital, in Weston-super-Mare, stopped accepting new admissions, including into its A&E department from 8am yesterday.
As the hospital shut as a precautionary measure, some residents in Weston reported concern over high numbers of people enjoying a day at the seaside.
Two people died in separate incidents along the Cornwall coastline after warnings RNLI lifeguards would not be able to patrol Britain’s beaches.
It is hoped lifeguard patrols will return to 70 beaches, which will be chosen based on risk and popularity, by peak season.