Hundreds of people have flocked to Brighton beach to soak up the last of the sun before the end of the summer holidays.

The seafront was packed with sunbathers and the beach was dotted with parasols this afternoon as temperatures rose to 25C.

Others took the plunge into the sea for a refreshing swim as the summer holidays come to an end.

Temperatures are expected to rise even higher tomorrow and into next week, reaching up to 28C in Brighton on Wednesday.

The Met Office’s latest forecast suggests that a heatwave may be on the way for some parts of the UK thanks to a shift in the jet stream and the influence of former tropical cyclone Franklin.

Met Office deputy chief meteorologist Chris Bulmer said: “As high pressure becomes established from this weekend, fine and settled conditions will develop and along with this we will see a rise in temperature across most parts of the UK next week.

“Many places can expect to see maximum temperatures rise to 25C or above for several days, which would bring some locations into the realm of heatwave conditions.

“Although the highest temperatures are likely to be in the south and east of England, these areas also have higher temperature thresholds for heatwave conditions to be declared.

“While some areas may just miss out on the actual definition, regardless of thresholds, many areas will enjoy a fine period of weather with plenty of sunshine and temperatures are likely to be the highest for many since June or early July.”