The ‘social bubble’ bursts again!

Britons hit beauty spots and high streets as temperatures soared to 70F on the second day families were allowed to meet again after coronavirus restrictions were eased.

TomTom data showed roads around Liverpool were 75 per cent of pre-lockdown levels at 1pm today as Britons took to parks amid warm summer temperatures this afternoon.

In London, traffic surged to 50 per cent of figures recorded a year earlier – as congestion in Brighton rose by two per cent compared to last Saturday.  

The latest transport data came as dozens of Britons flocked to Winchester High Street in anticipation of shops reopening for business tomorrow after weeks of closure amid the coronavirus pandemic. 

Social distancing banners reading ‘Please keep your distance’ and marking out two metres were seen above the high street in preparation of the UK’s shops coming back to life from tomorrow, with non-essential retailers allowed to open their doors for the first time since March.    

Other Britons today took the opportunity to travel to some of Britain’s beauty spots, including Battersea Park in London, to enjoy the warmer weather as the mercury rose to 73F (23C) in the capital.

These people are taking advantage of Boris Johnson’s new ‘support bubbles’ rules, which allows people from two households to interact with each other at less than two metres apart. 

With ‘support bubbles’ in force, people itching to socialise after being confined to their homes since the ‘stay at home’ order was given on March 23 rushed outdoors on Sunday.   

During the spells of sunshine today, the mercury could rise to as high as 79F (26C) in London, and just below in many other areas including Birmingham, Manchester and York.

Temperatures are not expected to reach the 70s in Scotland, where it is likely to remain wet for most of the day.

The rain is then expected to return later today, with fog also likely in some areas, particularly in the north-east, with sunny spells again coming in between scattered showers.

Despite the showers, though, some areas experienced temperatures of up to 75F (24C).

‘The picture is not really changing into early next week as the unsettled weather continues,’ Met Office spokesperson Nicola Maxey told MailOnline. ‘We’re likely to see a mix of sunshine and strong showers, with a risk of thunderstorms for the first half of next week.’

England in particular has been beset by rainfall in recent days, with more than double the amount of water falling in the first 10 days of this month, compared to all of May. 

Last month was the warmest May on record with global temperatures 1.13F (0.63C) above average, according to the European Union’s climate change monitor.