Clear blue skies and wall-to-wall sunshine create ideal conditions for beachgoers.
Many enjoyed a dip in the sea and tucked into ice creams in an attempt to cool off.
Temperatures around 27 degrees Celsius were forecast with the mercury rising even higher in the coming days.
In Bournemouth there were umbrellas, sunbeds and sunshades as far as the eye could see.
Cheeky video @Bournemouthecho pic.twitter.com/o5iV6DFOMM
— Andrew Goldman (@AndrewDailyEcho) July 16, 2022
Despite being busy, there was still plenty of space on the sand.
Read more: How to cope with the influx of visitors to the beaches this weekend
Dot, 77 and from Gillingham, said: “We haven’t been to Bournemouth since before Covid.
“It’s great to be back, the best place to spend a summer weekend.”
In contrast, Avon Beach in Christchurch was quieter.
The UK’s Health Safety Agency has issued a red heat health warning for the whole of England, declaring the hot weather a “national emergency”.
Read more: ‘National emergency’: Red heat health alert
Level four is reached “when a heat wave is so severe and/or prolonged that its effects extend beyond the health and social care system…. At this level, disease and death can occur among people who are fit and healthy, and not just in high-risk groups,” it said.
An orange weather warning for ‘extreme heat’ issued by the Met Office will be in place for Bournemouth, Christchurch, Poole and the rest of Dorset from 12am. on Sunday until 23:59 on Tuesday.
Read more: Heatwave: what you need to know if you live in Dorset
Elsewhere, a red alert will be in place for some parts of the country, including London, Oxford, Essex, Birmingham, Nottingham, Manchester, Stoke-on-Trent and York.
It is the first time the Met Office has issued a red warning for extreme heat.
