Coronavirus: Bournemouth initiates emergency response as Brits flock to UK beaches despite COVID-19 risks

Britain's beaches have been swamped with hundreds of thousands of people looking for respite from the country's heatwave.

The overcrowding got so bad at one seaside town, the local council had to declare it as a "major incident". 

Britain was baking on its hottest day of the year so far, with Brighton beach brimming with Brits sunbathing, boozing, boating, building and bombing.

Cooling off along this pebbly coastline as far as the eye could see - with locals desperate for a break from the searing heat, which peaked at 33.3 degrees at London Heathrow.

It's not just the temperature that's high, but the UV levels too - in fact, they're the highest ever recorded in the UK.

Further south in Bournemouth, there was an influx of 500,000 people. The area couldn't cope, prompting the council to declare a "major incident" and initiate an emergency response.

It was picture-perfect for a heatwave, but not if Britain wants to avoid a second wave of COVID-19 infections. Social distancing was non-existent, and face masks notably absent.

"I haven't really been doing social distancing but it's nice to see things back to normal," one local told Newshub.

"No face coverings at the beach but I think everyone's trying to keep their distance but it's very busy so it's quite hard to do that," said another.

However England's chief medical officer, Chris Whitty, says cases will go up again if scenes like this continue around the country.

It's lucky, then, that rain is on the way tomorrow.