PICNICS, sunbathers, and plenty of ice cream- here’s what Bournemouth beach looked like as the heatwave hit Dorset.

Thousands of people flocked to the beach on Monday as temperatures in Bournemouth exceeded 30C.

An amber alert was in force across Dorset for the “extreme heat”, and rail services told passengers to travel only if absolutely necessary.

But despite the warnings issued, Bournemouth beach and the seafront car parks were as busy as ever.

Zuzana was visiting from Slovakia with her husband and three children. She said: “We decided to do two nights on the coast for a little holiday.

Bournemouth Echo: Bournemouth Beach on Monday, July 18. Photo: BNPSBournemouth Beach on Monday, July 18. Photo: BNPS

“For us, this is normal weather, but it’s nice because we are able to do lots of activities here. We did the zip line with my husband, and we’ve been to the pier. It’s a bit crowded for us though.”

June and Graham Cross were visiting from Oxfordshire, their first outing since lockdown. They could be seen seeking shade on the Bournemouth Pier.

June said: “This is our first outing since Covid. We came early to avoid the heat.

“We thought we’d give it a go to see how we feel being out and about now.”

But it was not just tourists enjoying the hot weather, residents could also be seen making the most of their coastline.

Jackie Monroe and Lorainne Patterson were two ladies enjoying the soaring temperatures from their friend’s beach hut on Bournemouth beach.

Bournemouth Echo: Bournemouth Beach on Monday, July 18. Photo: BNPSBournemouth Beach on Monday, July 18. Photo: BNPS

Jackie said: “We both work for the NHS, and we both worked all through Covid and we felt that we needed some time out, so we’ve come here to chill on our day off. I think everyone here is feeling the same as us - chilled.

“The weather's lovely. It’s beautiful.”

Following issues of seafront littering in June, BCP Council were quick to issue a reminder to beachgoers on Monday. They tweeted: “Our teams were out early today to clean up near Bournemouth's seafront. 20 bags of litter were manually picked from Bath Road North and South Car Parks.

"Our message is simple, if people find a bin full, find another one or take the litter home and leave only footprints.”