People are being urged to stay away from beaches and beauty spots over the bank holiday weekend due to coronavirus, when England is expected to bask in warm, sunny weather.
Pictures of crowds flocking to beaches in Brighton and Southend and various beauty spots around the UK in recent days have raised fears over social distancing, and councils with responsibility for beauty spots around England are warning people to stay away.
Tempers boiled over yesterday as locals clashed with vast hordes of tourists they say are blighting their parks and beaches since lockdown restrictions were eased ahead of the bank holiday weekend.
Following the easing of some lockdown measures last week, there are no restrictions on how far people can go to get to the countryside, National Parks and beaches in England.
The Met Office is forecasting that temperatures could reach 66F on Satuday, and highs of 78F in London on Monday, with coastal areas likely to see highs of around 68F over the long weekend.
Saturday is expected to be the coldest day, before the mercury climbs on Sunday and Monday, with wall-to-wall sunshine in the west and sunny spells in the east.
This has lead to officials warning potential day trippers to think twice before travelling to such beauty spots.
Pictured: People enjoy the hot weather in River Lea in east London, as people flock to parks and beaches with lockdown measures eased, May 22
Pictured: Beach-goers use a shelter on the promenade in Littlestone, Kent ahead of the bank holiday weekend that is set to be as warm as 26C in some areas of the country
The head of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) has also pleaded with day-trippers to stay away from the beaches, warning that there are currently no RNLI lifeguards stationed on UK beaches.
Mark Dowie, Chief Executive of the RNLI has warned that lives could be put at risk as people rush to the beaches to escape the lockdown.
‘These are extraordinary times and we understand that after weeks of strict lockdown people are desperate to get out and enjoy some time on our wonderful coastline,’ he said.
‘As a lifesaving charity we cannot stop people heading to the beach. But please be aware any visit to the coast comes with risk, especially when there are currently no RNLI lifeguards on any UK beaches.’
Coastguard rescue teams were reportedly called out to 194 incidents last weekend that included crashed jet skis, paddle boarders, kayakers, windsurfers, drifting inflatables and bathers being cut off by the tide.
Councillor Carmen Appich, from Brighton & Hove City Council, has urged anyone thinking of travelling to the city ‘to consider very carefully how their journey will impact on others’.
Hastings Borough Council meanwhile has said the area is ‘closed to visitors from outside the town’.
Holidaymakers are similarly being told that the ‘clear advice’ from the Isle of Wight Council is they should stay away.
This picture of a large gathering of young people soaking up the sun near Darwen on the hottest day of the year on was taken on Wednesday afternoon, in 80F temperatures
The RNLI was reportedly called out to 194 incidents last weekend, which included crashed jet skis, paddle boarders, kayakers, windsurfers, drifting inflatables and bathers being cut off by the tide. Pictured: Windsurfing at Hayling Island Beach on May 22
A social distance sign is seen on the seafront at Brighton beach to encourage social distancing, and to reduce the risk of coronavirus spreading among beach-goers, May 22
James Bunting visited Stoney Bank Quarry near Darwen, Lancashire, on Thursday morning for a walk but was so horrified by the state of the usually beautiful location that he was compelled to photograph it
A huge queue of cars spotted near the Peak District. Chief Inspector Mark Thorley has reiterated calls for people not to flock to the Staffordshire region this bank holiday weekend
After pictures showed crowds at Southend in Essex earlier this week, the council’s leader said the easing of lockdown restrictions has put the council in a ‘very difficult position’.
Councillor Ian Gilbert said on Friday: ‘For many weeks we ran a successful Don’t Visit Southend campaign, but the Government’s lifting of restrictions have put us in a very difficult position as day trips and sunbathing are allowed, and takeaways can be open for business.’
After seeing the number of people who headed to its coastline this week, Sefton Council in Merseyside has adopted a new campaign ahead of the bank holiday weekend.
‘Wish you weren’t here!’ is the council’s take on the picture postcard message it is sending to people thinking of travelling to its beaches from across the North West.
People are also being advised not to visit Blackpool to help prevent the spread of Covid-19.
And the leaders of three local authorities bordering Morecambe Bay have also asked people to think twice before visiting the area.
A jogger was filmed on dash-cam footage during his run. He is seen repeatedly kicking a grey Mazda car by Tregantle Beach in Torpoint, Cornwall that was parked on a lane at the roadside
Masses of cars parked near the Peak District. Meanwhile, in the Manifold Valley, a huge amount of litter and charred barbecues were left behind by visitors last weekend
Queues of parked cars near the Peak District, as the beauty spot becomes busier during the hot weather and plagued by piles of rubbish, ahead of the bank holiday weekend. Monday is forecast to see temperatures up to 79F (26C)
The damage caused by the jogger to Pawel Pasich’s vehicle. Mr Pasich, who lives in Plymouth, was enjoying his first trip out of the city on Wednesday since the lockdown restrictions were eased when he captured the jogger on his dash-cam footage
In Cornwall, council leaders have warned there is no lifeguard cover and a large coastal swell and spring tide will bring hazardous sea conditions over the weekend.
Rob Nolan, cabinet member for environment and public protection at Cornwall Council, said people should not be holidaying in Cornwall and must return to their ‘principle residence’ each night.
Devon County Council asked people to ‘think twice’ about visiting the coast and to consider if they could remain closer to home.
The National Trust is urging people across England to stay close to home and explore local green spaces and countryside this weekend, as part of the collective effort to make easing of the lockdown work.
Holidaymakers who travelled 100 miles to sleep overnight in a giant gazebo on a beach in Sandbanks, Poole, Dorset, have been fined. The group of visitors from London flouted lockdown rules by camping on the sand at the exclusive resort
Piles of rubbish pictured at the beauty spot. A top cop says tourists are failing to heed warnings to stay away from the Peak District as the beauty spot becomes busier
People are pictured on the beach in Bournemouth today ahead of improving temperatures set to hit Britain on the Bank Holiday
Speaking at the daily Downing Street press conference, Home Secretary Priti Patel said: ‘It is inevitable that obviously the public will be out and about a lot more, but of course our message is clear to the public – yes, enjoy being outdoors, we have encouraged people to go out, but we have put a very clear caveat around that.
‘This is all conditional. You can enjoy being outdoors in the sun providing you are following the advice and we continue to stop and contain the spread of the infection.’
Meanwhile, Secretary of State for Wales Simon Hart said the different approaches taken by England and Wales would ‘increase the likelihood’ of people breaking lockdown rules over the bank holiday weekend.
Asked if he thought people were likely to break the rules, Mr Hart told the PA news agency: ‘Anything which suggests that there’s a different set of rules one side of the border to the other will increase the likelihood that that is possible, and there have been some examples of people being pulled in when coming into Wales who didn’t realise it was a different regime.’
But the MP for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire said he believed the ‘vast majority’ of people were complying with the lockdown rules in place in Wales.
Pictured: A dog walker and her pet brave a massive sandstorm on Tynemouth Longsands beach in North Tyneside today
Swimmers are pictured enjoying the sea off the Bournemouth coast today as authorities elsewhere fear huge waves today and tomorrow
A tree is pictured having fallen in the street in Middlesbrough today as heavy winds sweep the north of England ahead of the Bank Holiday
A group of people bask in the sunshine in London Fields, East London, yesterday as temperatures continued to soar