PICTURES show beachgoers making the most of the sunshine before temperatures drop next week.

Temperatures were expected to rise as high as 17C across the south east, according to the Met Office.

Photographs taken in Worthing on Sunday show hundreds of people relaxing in the warm weather.

Many people were seen strolling down the promenade and queuing to buy refreshments on the seafront, while others enjoyed an ice cream or a drink on the beach. 

The Met Office has warned that temperatures are set to drop next week.

From Monday to Wednesday, a gradual transition to less settled and colder conditions is expected, with increasing cloud amounts and perhaps eventually a little rain, this mainly from midweek.

Met Office chief meteorologist Paul Gundersen said: “Although the UK has had a good deal of fine and settled March weather in recent days, a change is on the way from the middle of next week with colder air spreading down from the north and the increasing likelihood of rain for most areas.

“On the hills in the north, there’s a chance of this falling as snow, although we’ll gain more certainty on that in the coming days.

“With the influence of some unsettled weather, we’ll be seeing a marked drop in temperatures for most with colder air arriving from the north.

This will see maximum temperatures drop into single figures for many areas, and below freezing overnight.”

While Monday will see some dry and fine weather, increasing cloud will hinder high temperatures, with the west holding onto the warmest of the weather through the day.

“Coupled with this is the risk of a few showers across some central and southern areas of the UK,” Mr Gundersen added.

“By Tuesday, a cold air mass will attempt to push into the north of the UK and slowly sink southwards, although the exact way this occurs is still very uncertain.

“However this happens, we are likely to see a change to a more unsettled and cooler weather picture from the middle of next week. Showers will be possible for much of the UK, although most frequent in the north and east, some of which are likely to be wintry in nature.”