RECORD-BREAKING warm weather has brought a weekend of visitors to ‘rival August’ and a business boost to match.

With the heatwave set be replaced with a cold spell from today, Weymouth traders have celebrated the unexpected peak in profits.

Daren Deadman, owner of The Boat cafe on Weymouth seafront, said: “This weekend was like a mini August, our takings were as good as the best weekend we had in the peak season.

“It proves the weather is everything, when you get a forecast that good and you get four or five days warning, people plan to get out and being October, they want to make the most of it.”

He added: “Yesterday was really busy too.

“We’ve been open 10 weeks and since the day we opened we haven’t stopped.

“It’s been absolutely amazing and we’re planning to stay open all winter, offering hot chocolate and mulled wine so people can still sit out but with their hats and coats on.”

The Christopher Robin shop on Weymouth Esplanade sold out of beach mats.

Shop assistant Jo Norton said: “We sold out of beach mats and buckets and spades galore.

“There were quite a few people down on day trips.”

Across the country, a new record for the month of October was set with was 29.9 degrees recorded at Gravesend in Kent – beating the previous top temperature of 29.4 degrees recorded in Cambridgeshire.

Here in the borough, Weymouth weatherman Bob Poots said the resort also set a new record.

He said: “On Sunday the official Weymouth temperature was recorded at 23.2 degrees centigrade becoming the warmest October day since our records began in 1880, the previous warmest was 22.8 recorded on October 6, 1947.

“All the official temperatures are recorded in the shade.”

He added: “It’s forecast to start getting cooler from today.

“It’s all to do with the jet stream, we’ve been getting nice warm weather from the continent but that’s going to move around and will cause it to get cooler.”

Andy Blackwood, Weymouth and Portland Borough Council spokesman for culture, tourism and community facilities, said: “The town was very busy over the weekend and the late sunny weather was a welcome boost to the local economy.

“The tourist information centre at the Pavilion was very busy and took an influx of last minute accommodation bookings.”

A spokesman for the Heights Hotel on Portland said: “We were definitely very busy, it was like a summer’s weekend.”