Nothing like a quiet weekend at the beach

Millions of people across Britain enjoyed sweltering heat and bright sunshine over the weekend as temperatures reached 22.5C – hotter than the holiday hotspots of Ibiza and Rome.

The highest temperatures were recorded in Porthmadog, north Wales, on Saturday. The unusually fine spell of British spring weather extended into Sunday and saw a mass exodus to parks and beaches, with supermarkets reporting 100 per cent rises in the sales of barbecues compared to this time last year.

The mini-heatwave started in the South-east and eventually reached north-west Scotland, which saw highs of 21C, sending sales of ice cream and water soaring. At Aintree, crowds watching the Grand National enjoyed temperatures of 20C, and Blyth in Northumberland recorded close to 17C. Cooler temperatures of 16.1C in Brighton did not deter thousands of people from flocking to the beach.

Although the welcome sunshine is expected to continue today, normality will make an unwelcome return in the middle of the week, when cooler temperatures and rain are forecast.