Sweltering Sussex was today recovering from its busiest weekend in 20 years.

Beaches, bars and hotels were bursting at the seams as a combination of tropical temperatures and the Pride festival transformed the coast into a magnet for thousands.

Paramedics, Coastguards and fire crews were run off their feet for 48 hours as the heat took its toll on sunbathers and dry ground turned to tinder.

A huge clean-up operation was under way last night as workers battled to clear parched parks and litter-strewn beaches across the county.

The exodus to the coast began early on Saturday as motorists fumed on the A23, where jams caused chaos.

Commuters also boiled in packed trains limited to 60mph because of fears tracks would buckle in the heat.

While Heathrow stole the crown for the hottest temperature ever recorded in Britain yesterday, a scorching 37.4C (99.3F), refreshing breezes kept the mercury down to a bearable 27C (81F) on Brighton beach.

The seafront was packed by 8am with latecomers struggling to find a place to lay their towels.

Across the city, businesses made bumper profits as thousands of daytrippers emptied their wallets.

Restaurants, clubs and pubs did a roaring trade with many enjoying record takings.

On Saturday night customers were queuing along the street for a table at seafood favourite The Regency, which seats almost 200.

Manager Roberto Savvides said: "It was a great weekend. With the weather and Pride we did very good business. I haven't even had time to count the takings yet but it will easily be the most we have made all year."

Arun Patel, licensee of the Fortune of War, under the arches in King's Road, Brighton, said Saturday night was "horrendously busy".

He said: "I would liken it to the Fatboy Slim concert, the levels of activity at 1.30am were just as high as earlier in the evening.

"We closed at 11pm but were still clearing up two hours later."

Maxine Silsby, duty manager at Alias Hotel Seattle at Brighton Marina, said the hotel was fully booked all weekend.

She said: "We've noticed many more people around the marina and our restaurants have done very well.

"It's been a lovely weekend and the atmosphere has been great."

Elsewhere, shops were running out of refreshments as thirsty punters raided shelves for drinks and ice creams.

Eddie Beer, owner of Seaside News on the seafront, was rushed off his feet with people wanting water.

He said: "It's absolutely booming. We have been very, very busy all weekend.

"Unfortunately we have run out of ice and ice creams. We rang the Cash and Carry to get some more but they've also run out."

Others were less fortunate.

Brighton Rock Shop owner Derek Burt complained trade was down because the road outside his shop was being dug up.

He said: "Our shop down the road is booming but here we are losing money because the council has decided, in its wisdom, to dig the road up in the middle of summer."

A huge clean-up operation was taking place at Preston Park yesterday, which hosted thousands of Pride revellers the day before.

The seafront was packed again, with thousands flaked out on the beach or cooling off in the sea.

Some people were leaping from the Palace Pier oblivious to the dangers.

Others sought shade beneath the pier.

Tony Ryall, 47, spent the day on the beach with his wife and three children.

He said: "It's a beautiful day. It's just far too hot in the glare of the sun. It's much cooler here and there is not much chance of getting burned."

Heavy delays were reported yesterday on the A23 northbound carriageway between Cheals roundabout and Ifield, near Crawley, as Londoners returned to the capital.

Roadworks between the A27 and Palace Pier caused severe congestion.

Brighton and Hove Bus and Coach Company apologised for delays caused by Pride but services were running more smoothly yesterday.

In Worthing, people were taking extreme measures to keep cool.

Temperatures soared on Goring beach as a group of game-for-a-laugh women peeled off their bikini tops while speeding along at 20mph on a jet ski.

Bank team leader Julie Anderson, 35, and administration assistant Helen Cross, 37, both from Worthing, raised a few eyebrows during their antics in the midday sun yesterday.

Helen said: "It was really exhilarating - a real laugh. The water was lovely and cooling. We got a fair bit of attention."

Earlier, their husbands David Anderson, 36, Paul Cross, 37, and friend David Crew, 38, had gone naked in the water - to cheers from sunbathers.

David Crew, from Lancing, said: "We just wanted to get our white bits brown. It was quite liberating."

The hot weather kept fire crews busy as dry grass acted as tinder.

A spokeswoman for West Sussex Fire Brigade said yesterday: "It could just be people being careless with cigarette ends and that sort of thing. It's just so dry at the moment, people have to be extra careful."

She said firefighters took 63 calls yesterday ranging from tree fires and a beach hut blaze to three field fires.

A spokesman for the seafront office in Brighton said: "It was extremely busy and extremely hot. There were lots of lost children, pier jumpers, drunks and other shenanigans which we had to deal with."

Supermarket chains also reported a weekend of record sales.

Tesco said disposable barbecues had been "flying off the shelves", while the store also sold record amounts of barbecue fuel and ice cream.

The food giants also said sales of lager, cider and alcopops were all up 45 per cent.

In Pagham, near Bognor, firefighters were called out after gorse and grassland next to a seafront car park caught alight.

About 100m by 75m of land was destroyed in the blaze but crews were able to stop the fire from spreading to the cars.

The fire started at about 1.30pm yesterday and was brought under control within 40 minutes.

Eastbourne also attracted record crowds and one of the busiest weekends in memory.

Deckchairs had all been rented by 10am and there was no space to swing a bucket and spade on the stretch of beach between the pier and the Wish Tower.

With every hotel packed with guests, the tourism office has been ringing round guest houses in a desperate attempt to find beds for the influx of holidaymakers.

Seafront supervisor Garry Cairns said: "It has been brilliant. We have sold out of everything.

"The water temperature has been recorded at 21C (70F), which is hotter than it has been for four years."

Met Office statistics revealed the town had so far enjoyed more hours of August sunshine than anywhere else in England.

Ron Cussons, director of tourism at Eastbourne Borough Council, said last week's sunshine meant a boost to the local economy of up to £3 million.

Ben Booker, deputy general manager of the 152-room Grand Hotel in King Edwards Parade, said : "We're run off our feet.

"We have been full up all weekend. We are very happy hoteliers."

Ladbrokes is offering odds of 3/1 on Brighton being the beach that will record the hottest average temperature in August.

Monday August 11 2003