Wish you WEREN'T here: Incredible pictures of Spain's crowded beaches as Awful August drives Britons abroad

Temperatures at Guardamar on the Costa Blanca hit 90f (32c) - meaning that every available inch was covered by multi-coloured sunshades as tourists, many of them British, sought refuge from the heat.

There is hardly an inch of space left at the baking hot Guadamar Beach in Spain

As those still at work or braving domestic breaks continue to shelter under umbrellas, wind-breaks and raincoats, temperatures have soared on the Spanish Costas and elsewhere in the Mediterranean.

But as this extraordinary photographs show, sun worshippers have flocked to take advantage in such numbers that some popular resorts simply have no space left.

Barely an inch of sand is unclaimed on the beach at Guardamar on the Costa Blanca as technicolour sunshades crowd the water's edge where rank after rank of tourists are cooling off from the 90F heat.

It would surely be enough to make you pine for the leaden skies and seemingly endless showers that Britain has endured for most of this month - and indeed much of last summer too.

Meanwhile back at home rainfall brings misery to beaches across the country, including Langland Bay near Swansea

Tourists at Guardamar del Segura - to give the resort its full name - are set to enjoy mostly unbroken sunshine and temperatures no lower than the mid-80s over the next few days.

The town, which is popular with both Spaniards and foreigners, is just down the coast from Alicante, and there are several miles of sandy beach nearby where hopefully a little more space is available.

For those who haven't completely given up hope about the weather prospects for the impending Bank Holiday weekend, scattered showers and below-average temperatures are likely to remain with us over the next few days.

But some areas should at least stay dry, forecasters predict.