Brits have flocked to the beaches as the school holidays were brightened by a much-needed sunshine boost - but the Met Office has denied there will be a heatwave in the coming days.
The summer break had so far been blighted by days of rain, thunderstorms, and flash floods after a short period of sweltering highs sent Brits heading for the beaches in July.
But seaside beauty-spots on England's south coastline filled up again on Tuesday, as pleasant temperatures topping around 21C bathed popular Dorset beaches from Bournemouth to Weymouth.
The spell of warm weather is set to continue in some parts of the UK this week.
Met Office temperature map forecasts say highs could tip over 20C in parts of Yorkshire, Cambridgeshire, London and parts of the south of England later this week.
But hopes a grey summer will be brightened by a further fresh burst of sunshine and warmth have been dashed by weather forecasters.
The Met Office has poured cold water on reports claiming another 'heatwave' could arrive this August.
Grahame Madge, a Met Office spokesman, said: "August has essentially been a case of mixed fortune with some areas seeing drier weather than usual, while others have virtually had a whole month of rainfall in just 10 days.
"We're not expecting to see record-breaking weather, as there have certainly been wetter Augusts in the past but many areas have faced a very wet and intense period of rain.
"We are putting this down to an area of low pressure which is moving slowly across the country bringing the damp conditions many have seen."
Mr Madge said that over the next few days the weather is expected to be "more settled" compared to last week.
Many areas in England and Wales will see clearer and sunnier spells with the temperature likely to hit the low-20s.
Mr Madge added: "Do not expect to see heatwave conditions, but dry, sunny spells for many.
"However, there may be a few outbreaks of rain in Northern Ireland and Scotland as the week progresses."
The national forecaster's prediction comes as parts of the UK were battered by summer showers.
Some areas were hit by a month of rainfall in just the first 10 days of August, forecasters say.
The Met Office says 46mm of rain has so far fallen in Greater London, which usually sees 53mm in the whole of August.
West Sussex has seen 98 per cent of its average rainfall for the month.
Parts of Surrey and areas in the south east have also had up to 85% of their total rainfall for August in just over a week.
The average rainfall for the country in August is 89mm, but so far almost 40% of that total has fallen, 10 per cent more than expected, the Met Office has said.
Last month, parts of London were hit by flash-flooding that left Tube stations and ground-floor flats nearly submerged.
The period of weather misery comes as experts warn wild extremes will become a more regular occurrence due to climate change.
Parts of Europe and China have been hit by dramatic, deadly flooding in recent weeks.
On Monday, a devastating new climate report warned a future of severe heatwaves and droughts is looming.
The paper, produced by the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), sounded the alarm about the speed and scale of global warming caused by human activity which is progressing at an alarming rate.
You can read the Mirror's coverage of the important 'Doomsday' climate change report here.
