THIS week’s heatwave across Dorset continued yesterday with temperatures reaching new heights for the calendar year.

Twitter-based forecaster Wessex Weather, which operates an independent weather station near Wimborne, recorded peak temperatures of 27.3C yesterday. According to fellow Twitter account Dorset Sun, who lives in Bournemouth, 24.5C was recorded in Poole and 22C in coastal areas of Bournemouth.

The basking sunshine saw people descend on Bournemouth’s beaches. This image shows the busy scene on the coast yesterday afternoon, as visitors soaked up the sun.

Elsewhere in the United Kingdom, the Met Office recorded a temperature of 29.1C in St James’s Park, London, making it the warmest April day since 1949 – just 0.3C below the highest April temperature since records began.

The Met Office is forecasting Bournemouth will see highs of 23C today, with sunshine remaining on Saturday despite a predicted drop to 17C.

Cloud cover is expected to take hold on Sunday, with temperatures dropping to the low teens at the start of next week.