Brits have been flocking to the beach to enjoy the sun on the first day of September- as official figures are poised to show it will be the hottest summer on record.
There was patchy rain in the north and west, but other areas of the country took advantage of the glorious sunshine- with top temperatures reaching 73F in the south-east.
Crowds In Bournemouth were bulging on the beach and enjoying the sun, sea and annual Air Festival, while in Cambridge families and couples are kicking back and taking a punt along the River Cam.
In London people were out enjoying picnics, children frolicking in the fountains, horse riding in Hyde Park and lounging by the canal near King’s Cross.
Despite cooler and sometimes damp weather over the past month, forecasters said the hot June and July should still see 2018 beat the summers of 2006, 2003 and 1976 for the hottest on record.
The annual Bournemouth Air Festival is hugely popular and people are thoroughly enjoying the show and the continuing warm temperatures
In Hyde Park in London three riders on horses are galloping along in the heat with the London Eye looming in the background
Children play in a water fountain in Granary Square, London, while they enjoy the sun before they have to head back to school next week
People out punting on the River Cam in Cambridge on the first day of the meteorological autumn with a hot weekend forecast for most of the country
People sit in the sun by a canal in Kings Cross, London, while others cycle along. People are sat enjoying picnics and some are sunbathing
Hot air balloons take to the sunny skies above Chatsworth house in Derbyshire this morning. The early morning balloon lift-off took place at the stately home as part of Chatsworth Country Fair
Early morning swimmers in The Serpentine lake in Hyde Park, central London, on the fist day of meteorological autumn
A boat travels on the River Thames at sunrise, seen behind City of London skyscrapers on the first day of meteorological autumn
The Met Office released provisional figures yesterday, covering June, July and August up to Thursday.
As of Friday the mean highest daytime temperature for the UK as a whole stood at 60.44F.
It compares with the current record of 60.40F in 2006, closely followed by 60.38F in both 2003 and 1976.
Meanwhile, the provisional hottest average daily temperature for England in 2018 stands at 62.96F – beating the record of 62.6F, set in 1976.
On Friday a Met Office spokesman said: ‘With one day to go, it is clear that 2018 has been one of the hottest summers on record for the UK.
‘However, the margin between the mean temperatures at the top of the league tables – records dating back to 2010 – is so small that at this point it is impossible to say if 2018 will be an outright winner.
‘Usually we will only quote statistics to the nearest 0.1C as differences smaller than this could result from small numerical differences arising from the statistical calculations.’
But records for Scotland, of 57.38F set in 2003, and 60.98F in Wales, set in 1995, are unlikely to be beaten.
This year, the mean summer temperature for Scotland was 55.58F, and 60.8F in Wales.
The Northern Ireland average in summer 2018 of 59.18F is also unlikely to exceed the average of 59.9F set in 1995.
The Met Office said it will officially confirm the statistics next week, once today has been taken into account.