Brighton expecting 400,000 people over holiday weekend as families seek seaside resorts
The weekend could be the hottest Easter on record, with temperatures predicted to peak in the south-east at 27C (81F) on Saturday.
It will also be the longest Easter break for many, with the pileup of Easter, royal wedding and May bank holidays tempting many to add a few leave days and take 11 days off work.
Brighton is braced for an invasion of 400,000 people over the holiday weekend, as the temperature continued to hit record levels for April and the familiar bank holiday traffic jams built up on routes to the sea. The resort's shingle beach, hotter than Corfu or Majorca, was almost invisible under the carpet of bodies yesterday. "I would imagine that at any one time, if the sun stays out, we will have between 150,000 and 200,000 people on the beach today," said John Carmichael, from Visit Brighton.
There were similar scenes at Bournemouth, above, while otters, right, at the Blue Reef Aquarium at Southsea were given ice lollies to help them cool off, as another day of hot, still weather across much of the country triggered the first government smog warning of 2011, with advice to vulnerable people including asthma sufferers not to take outdoor exercise in the afternoon, and a plea to everyone to avoid unnecessary car journeys to avoid making the smog worse. The cloudless blue skies over London and other cities are already hazy with smog, caused by the combination of pollution, soaring temperatures, and high pressure.
The environment department, Defra, warned that the smog is likely to last at least until Sunday, and has set up a freephone helpline - 0800 556677 - offering health advice. The smog alert is the first in more than a year.
Traditional bank holiday traffic jams were reported on routes including the M5 in Somerset. But there was good news for motorists northbound out of London as the M1 reopened fully after days when it was completely or partly closed as a result of a fire under a motorway bridge.
The Association of Train Operating Companies predicts more than six million train journeys will be made over the weekend. Rail engineering works will make travelling a misery for many, but Network Rail said 18% more trains would run compared to last Easter, with 90% of the network operating as normal.