People flocked to Britain’s beaches yesterday as temperatures soared. However, it has been reported that social distancing was an issue in many areas

It comes as no surprise that with the ease in lockdown restrictions, and the hottest day of the year so far, that the public flocked to the UK’s beaches to enjoy the sunshine. However, in many coastal locations, gridlocked roads and lack of social distancing disgruntled local residents.

In an interview on Good Morning Britain earlier this week, a man holding a bottle of beer on Brighton seafront said: “if we carry on the way we’re going I think we’re going to have a major lockdown in two weeks.” He also mentioned that he thought the country should be in a stricter lockdown, much like Spain, where no one is allowed out.

Another person interviewed said that he was ‘doing his best’ to follow the guidelines. Still, there were a lot of daytrippers at the beaches. While another man said, there was no way you can social distance walking along the seafront due to the number of people there.

Today, the HM Coastguard and RNLI launch a new beach safety guide to help people stay safe and alert with visiting the coast this summer.

In the North West yesterday, many coastal towns experienced increased volumes of traffic with photos emerging of gridlocked roads and cars parked everywhere. The Manchester Evening News showed crowds pictured at Ainsdale beach and said queues formed along the streets that lead up to the location.

People took to Twitter with Christine Bore saying, “Can’t believe what I’ve just seen. Ainsdale and Southport beach ‘crammed’ with cars and people!! Felt so deflated after everyone’s careful efforts.”

It was also reported everywhere from Bournemouth to Blackpool were experiencing vast crowds of people from all over the country. Police said that traffic heading to North Devon was also from other parts of the country.

In North Devon, police also issued several fines to people abandoning cars and said they were ‘running out of tickets.’

The easing of restrictions has meant that people can travel further to enjoy the beautiful weather. However, many local authorities are urging people to stay away for the moment. There are also different restrictions for Wales and Scotland, so the public is being urged not to travel over the border unless it is essential travel.

Thunderstorms and unsettled weather ahead

There could be some ease in the flocking crowds over the next few days, as the weather turns unsettled.

The Met Office has confirmed there is most likely to be thunderstorms heading for the South East, and “frequent lightning, hail and torrential downpours of up to 40mm in a few hours”.

The Essex Weather Centre also issued a warning that they could see a tornado, tweeting, “Any storms that do manage to develop will form quickly and may become severe with large hail/tornado risk.”

In The North, it is likely to be a more unsettled picture. Deputy Chief Meteorologist, Matthew Lehnert said:

“It will bring a spell of strong winds and a risk of gales to parts of Northern Ireland, northern England and much of Scotland.”

The weekend is set to turn slightly cooler and return to around average temperatures for the time of year.

This news comes after Devon and Cornwall’s authorities have joined forces to ask people to stay away as part of a #comebacklater campaign.