Cromer 'quiet' on day UK records hottest ever temperature

On a mid-July day the beach at Cromer would normally be full of parents entertaining their young children and the promenade with people walking their dogs.

But on Tuesday (July 19), the day the UK endured its hottest ever temperature, exceeding 40C for the first time on record, the town was "reasonably quiet".

Cromer was slightly cooler than inland, with highs in the low 30s, but the heatwave, which sparked an amber weather warning for most of the county, did seem to be keeping some people indoors.

Duncan Borrett, 32, duty manager at Glide Surf School and Shop on Cromer's promenade, said: "It's been steady. Yesterday (Monday, July 18) was quite pleasant, because the sea breeze kept the temperatures cool, as the shop is right on the seafront.

"It's been reasonably quiet. Even the beach was not that busy. People who were here just wanted to get in the water."

The school taught five paddleboarding lessons on Monday, including to school groups.

"The water was the best place for them in this weather," Mr Borrett said.

Across the promenade, sitting in the shade of their hut, lifeguards were observing the beach and people swimming in the sea between the two lifeguard flags.

Noticeable by their absence were people with young children and dogs.

Another sign of the amber weather warning was visible at the Doggie Diner on Mount Street, where a sign on the front door said the cafe was closed due to the extreme heat.

It was the first time the cafe did not open because of high temperatures.

David Baird-Parker, 45, who co-owns the business with Claire Abbs and Kelly Dawson, said: "We've done a lot to make it comfortable for visitors when it is warm weather, like air-con and doggy ice-cream and water, but we don't want to be encouraging people to come out with their dogs today, given the extremely hot weather.