Hot sun makes life a beach

The sunshine sent thousands coastwards yesterday causing jams on roads into many of Britain's favourite resorts.

With temperatures about 10 degrees above normal for August in all but Western Scotland and western parts of Northern Ireland, daytrippers were intent on making the most of the sunshine. The London Weather Centre said Gravesend in Kent was the hottest place in the country with a temperature of 30.3C.

An AA Roadwatch spokesman said roads into Brighton, Southend in Essex, Devon and Cornwall and Norfolk and North Wales were particularly congested, even though many people had travelled out on Saturday.

At Bournemouth in Dorset, an estimated 600 beach huts, 100,000 ice-creams and 75,000 soft drinks were snapped up.

In Margate, Kent, workers had to hose down what is claimed to be Britain's largest big wheel to prevent the steel in the 180-foot structure expanding in the heat.

And at Monkey World, near Wareham, Dorset, chimpanzees and orang-utans were given home-made garlic and marmite ice-creams to keep cool.

The ices were the idea of Alison Ames, a keeper who had used similar ice-creams with polar bears at Belfast Zoo. "The chimps love them," she said.

Mark Hedger, a lifeguard on Brighton beach, said it was one of the three busiest days of the year so far.

"You can hardly see the beach for bodies. It's all very good-natured and there have been no serious problems. People are even getting the message about covering up in the sun and there have been very few people getting sunburnt."

The hot weather combined with calm seas proved excellent conditions for the Annual World Friendship relay team of British and South African swimmers across the Channel.