Families are being warned to stay safe and keep away from the coast and beauty spots as temperatures are set to soar for the bank holiday.
The Coastguard and the RNLI fear for the public’s safety with fewer beaches being monitored during the pandemic and no lifeguards on duty.
They told the Mirror they have seen a return to near-normal numbers visiting beaches after the lockdown was eased.
Now they fear thousands more will flock to the coast this weekend as the sunny weather is set to return, with temperatures of 26C (79F) in the South.
Brits must also continue to observe social distancing and stay two metres away from people outside their household, which may prove difficult on packed beaches.
The Coastguard and RNLI have launched a beach safety campaign and are urging parents to leave their “giant unicorn and pink flamingo” inflatables at home.
Falmouth Coastguard James Instance said: “What we are seeing is a return to what we would expect to be normal levels of activity.
“It’s gone from a stop to full-speed ahead – there are people kayaking, surfing. There have been no baby steps at all. We need people to take responsibility for themselves.”
Mark Dowie, of the RNLI, said they would normally have 240 beaches monitored, but it is currently just 70. He said: “No children are at school, many adults are not working or have been furloughed. So it’s of course natural for people to want to take their children to the beach. But, for goodness sake, keep an eye on your kids.”
Police are also concerned about virus spread and have urged people to stay away from the Peak District until later in the year. And in Brighton, the council is restricting access to the beach.
This week also saw large crowds on beaches in Southend, Essex.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said on Friday: “All of the anecdotal evidence suggests that the vast majority of the public are still following the rules.
“And by doing so are helping to save lives and we thank them for that.
“We recognise the sacrifices which the public are making but as we head into the long weekend we must all renew our efforts and continue to abide by the social distancing rules.”
Meteorologist Simon Partridge, from the Met Office, predicted the best of the sun will arrive on bank holiday Monday.
He said: “On Monday, the high pressure extends further, bringing with it plenty of fine, dry, sunny, weather across the UK with some light winds. Temperatures in South East could be 26C.”
Saturday:
Windy with sunny spells and scattered showers for many areas, with further rain for northwest Scotland. A dry and sunny end to the day in the south.
Outlook for Sunday to Tuesday:
Breezy with patchy rain in the north, sunny spells elsewhere Sunday. Warm and sunny Monday, but with cloud and rain spreading to the northwest later. Mostly dry Tuesday.
