Life's a beach - how Bank Holiday brought sunshine to one seaside resort, but left another under cloud - News

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But picking the wrong one for a day out could have seriously dampened your Bank Holiday Monday mood.

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Here comes the sun: The crowds on Brighton beach savour the Bank Holiday Monday weather

In Brighton, thousands soaked up the sun on the beach yesterday while enjoying a cloudless day and temperatures of up to 20c (68f).

But 95 miles west along the coast in Bournemouth, day trippers were faced with overcast and chillier conditions - and were forced to put up their brollies on the beach when rain descended.

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It was a different story for people at the seaside in Bournemouth, who had to get their brollies out when the rain came

Many sunseekers in the South were caught out after they saw blue skies overhead in the morning and decided to head straight for the coast.

Depending on where they went, some discovered less than perfect conditions at the seaside when they got there.

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Leap for joy: As temperatures nudge 20C, a family makes the most of the weather in Loch Lomond, Scotland. While, below, at Portobello beach near Edinburgh, Kathleen Henderson, 28, relaxes with a book

The good weather was mainly confined to London and the South-East, which basked in some of the highest temperatures so far this year.

The trend is expected to continue, with the capital enjoying a glorious day today and temperatures of 24c (75f) by the end of the week.

In Birmingham, on the other hand, it will rain for most of the week. However, Blackpool bucked yesterday's trend and proved unexpectedly sunny.

Elinor Potts, 25, from Andover, Hampshire, who spent the day in Bournemouth with her boyfriend Richard Sears, 27, said: "We expected the weather to be sunny but it has been quite overcast.

"Bournemouth is really busy and everyone seems to be making the most of the holiday before going back to work tomorrow.

"It's just a shame the sun didn't make an appearance."

In Brighton, thousands lined the beach and dipped their toes in the water. By the afternoon, many were suffering the usual Bank Holiday congestion on the roads, with the A23 London to Brighton road proving particularly busy.

John Hutchinson, weather forecaster for MeteoGroup, said: "It's been a bit of a mixed bag.

"The best of the Bank Holiday weather has been in the South-East of England and East Anglia.

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Take it easy: Surrounded by bluebells, a walker reads a book in woods today close to Winchester

"We've had a band of cloud and patchy rain in Central England drifting westwards, moving into South-West England and Wales."

The outlook for the week looks promising, he added. "It looks like there will be quite a lot of dry and fine weather around, with temperatures reaching 21-24c (70-75f), but there will be a south-easterly breeze," he said.

Rather than opting for a barbecue, a day in the park or a trip to the seaside yesterday, thousands headed to the sales instead.

Stores were packed with families who are desperate to make savings in the wake of the credit crunch.

Argos was offering up to £110 off top-of-the-range televisions, with a Hitachi digital TV slashed from £599.99 to £489.99 and up to £50 off digital cameras.

Asda was also offering savings of up to 50 per cent on electrical goods, while Mothercare promised 10 per cent off car seats and pushchairs.