Thousands of locked-down Britons are cramming onto packed beaches to bask in 82F (28C) sunshine on the hottest day of the year so far today, before rain and thunderstorms are set to hit the nation tomorrow.
Sunbathers made the most of their new-found freedom following the easing of lockdown restrictions as London’s St James’s Park saw a high of 79.16F (26.2C) on Tuesday – beating 2020’s previous top temperature of 78.8F (26C) set last month.
The sunshine is set to continue for most of the UK on Wednesday, with the mercury expected to hit 82F (28C).
Pictures of residents and tourists flocking to beaches in Southend, Bournemouth, Margate and Brighton sparked backlash, with one man saying: ‘It’s madness, it’s like everyone’s forgotten about coronavirus.’
But despite the dry weather, there is an outside chance the UK could see an isolated shower in East Anglia over the afternoon.
LBC’s Charlotte Sullivan tweeted: ‘More people arriving in Southend today. It almost looks like any other hot day here apart from the dots on the floor to mark out where to stand in the queue for ice creams.
The Met Office’s Nicola Maxey told MailOnline: ‘A warm, fine sunny day for most people with the possibility of isolated spots reaching around 28C (82F) in the south-east. It’s a southerly airflow so bringing in nice warm air. There is a possibility it will be the warmest day of the year so far.