IT’S been a run of red hot weather to remember. The blazing heat has seen Hampshire hotter than some exotic locations across the world including Sydney, Rome and Rio.

This uninterrupted sunny and dry weather has lifted the spirits following several bad summers. But it has also been a boost for small beachside businesses hit hard by a succession of dreary days which kept customers at bay.

For Grahame Pusey takings had dropped so much because of the drab weather he was contemplating the future of the longstanding Bluebird Cafe on Calshot Beach.

He said: “If we had another soggy summer we would have closed down.”

In ten years of running the historic cafe the past few years have been dreadful. But since the beginning of July the weather has been a shot in the arm and helped secure a future for the iconic cafe.

He said: “It has gone through the roof. Takings have quadrupled – this is an exceptional one I think. We had it so bad last year. I think people have been denied the chance to enjoy the summer weather so now they are coming out and taking each day as it comes.”

With the sun high in the sky, the Daily Echo met vendor Valarie Taylor as she worked flat out selling ice creams at Calshot Spit.

She said: “There has been a big difference this year after six or seven years of bad summers. “The volume of people has trebled. It has been very good after a slow start.”

Across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight thousands of people made a beeline for the beach over the weekend to soak up the sun while it lasts. And the pebbly beach at Calshot, with its rows of colourful huts, was no different with car parks filling up with cars and camper vans.

With the tide low and the wind warm and strong, water sport enthusiasts were out in force in the Solent which was bustling with pleasure boats. Dozens of kite surfers were letting rip with their sails which weaved wildly amid the blue skies, while children paddled in the warm shallower waters. Others preferred to kick back and savour the strong sun.

The two-week heat wave has seen the mercury rise above 30C on many occasions, but on Saturday there was respite with a pleasant 24C, with temperatures refreshingly pegged down by a breeze. Yesterday temperatures climbed once again above 27C and forecasts predicted today would be even hotter, back up to 28C in Southampton and 30C in Winchester.

The heatwave that has brought soaring temperatures across the south is expected to go out with a bang tomorrow.

Weathermen predict that the longest period of hot weather for years will end in thunderstorms.

Forecasters say rain is set to cool everything down with temperatures dropping several degrees to 25C and the sun shining for only around five hours compared to the recent average of ten.

There could be long periods of thundery rain tomorrow with some torrential downpours in places.

The thunderstorms will herald a period of cooler weather, with temperatures gradually falling – Wednesday 23.5C, Thursday 22.7C Friday 22C and Saturday 22C.

The forecasters say the high pressure that is causing the heatwave is likely to last until the end of July.

Into August there could well be a change as the high pressure area begins to move southwards.

The north will see a change first but the fine weather should last for longer in the south.