IN PICTURES: Crowds soak up the sun on Bournemouth beach

Sunbathers were stretched along the sand as far as the eye could see on bank holiday Sunday.

Temperatures were expected to reach between 20C and 22C although it was feeling a bit cooler along the coast in the afternoon.

A number of seafront car parks were already full by mid-morning as visitors headed to the area's beaches with people advised to use the park and ride service. 

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Forecaster Bournemouth & Poole Weather said temperatures had fallen to 16C or 17C due to a sea breeze.

On Saturday, the foreaster said 20.6C was recorded at Hurn making it the warmest day of the year so far beating the 20.2C recorded on March 30. 

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On bank holiday Monday, the Met Office is predicting highs of 22C and sunshine for Bournemouth.

Across the country, britons flocked to parks, beaches and pub gardens to enjoy the sunshine over the long weekend after weeks stuck indoors due to a combination of heavy downpours and Covid-19 restrictions.

Becky Mitchell, a meteorologist from the Met Office, said: “We could potentially get to the hottest day of the year but definitely by tomorrow.”

The previous high of 24.5C (76.1F) was recorded on March 30 at Kew Gardens.

“We will see highs of 24C (75.2F), most likely in parts of Wales and the Midlands and in north-west England as well on Sunday, it’s likely we could get to 24.5C (76.1F).

“We are expecting highs of 25C (77F) tomorrow, so the warmest day of the year so far, and both today and tomorrow we will see temperatures in the low 20s in most parts of the UK, even in northern Scotland.”

She continued: “The only exception is along the east coast – there is quite a lot of low cloud, mist and fog in east coastal areas and that will stay for the next few days , so highs of between 12C (53.6F) and 16C (60.8F) there – quite a lot lower than elsewhere.”