More than a million holidaymakers and daytrippers are expected to hit the roads for the Westcountry this weekend with the tourist industry reporting a huge spike in visitors from both home and abroad.
Bookings for so-called stay-cations are up by 20% in parts of the region as holidaymakers buoyed by the recent good weather are turning their backs on overseas visits in favour of a holiday in the Westcountry.
Forecasters are predicting the heatwave will continue into next week, with temperatures in the region reaching highs of 28C for the start of the school summer holidays, making it the longest prolonged period of such weather since 2006.
However, those looking to take advantage of the recent sweltering temperatures by making last-minute bookings are having to compete with a surge in bookings from abroad, as Dutch, German and Italian visitors are up by almost 20% in some regions.
The news has provided a big boost to the Westcountry's tourist industry, with some accommodation providers boasting near-record figures, and a welcome reprieve after a succession of disappointing summers.
Alistair Handyside, chairman of the South West Tourism Alliance, said interest had soared since the weather improved this month. "I think it's the summer to stay in England," he said.
"The website traffic of all the people we have spoken to has been very good. People will come down for a week, but then there's a lot of people who come down for a day. There will be lots more of those visitors.
"I think if you talk to most businesses they have been keeping their fingers crossed for this weather. It's been a long time coming. It's been five or six years since we had a weather like this and the businesses need to make the most of it. Long may it continue."
Research from the RAC showed 1.2 million motorists hit the road for Devon and Cornwall last weekend, with that figure expected to rise this weekend.
Carolyn Custerson, chairman of VisitDevon, said the county's biggest operators were reporting a 20% uplift in bookings for July and August.
"There's is no doubt that this good weather has caused an uplift in people either taking a short break or a day trip," she said. "Some providers are reporting their strongest bookings for five years."
But the boost isn't just being provided by holidaymakers staying in Britain. Agency holidaycottages.co.uk, said bookings from overseas in Cornwall were up 18%, with German interest up 22% alone.
Dick Cliffe, chairman of Penzance Chamber of Commerce and a guesthouse owner in the town, said he took record takings for June, and July is shaping up to be similar, with a lot of tourists coming from abroad.
"We have just had a constant stream of Dutch, Germans, Italians and Swiss." he said. "The demand now is amazing. The phone hasn't stopped ringing. The majority of times we only had a few rooms left. The town is packed out."
With the heatwave set to move in to its third week, the Met Office delivered a level three health warning for the Westcountry on Thursday, only triggered after seven consecutive days of above-30C temperatures, with social and healthcare services asked to target specific high-risk groups. The hottest recorded temperature of 2013 was notched on Wednesday – 32.2C at Hampton Water Works in London – but was still short of the record 38.5C recorded in Kent in 2003. Temperatures in the Westcountry will reach a high of 28C in Yeovil, Bridgwater and Somerset over the next four days, with the highest coastal temperature set to hit at least 27C at Bude in Cornwall later today.
