They may not be from the Antarctic but even the South American Humboldt penguins at Great Yarmouth Sea Life Centre were sweltering a bit in the recent heat. Luckily for the eight-strong flock of penguins living on our east coast, their quick-thinking keepers have set up a refreshing cold water shower to help cool down and all this week have been preparing tasty iced fish cakes to keep the critters chilly enough for comfort.
“We do have some tricks to keep them cool,” said Terri Harris, Sea Life general manager.
“We have a spray mist and we’ve been making these ice buckets filled with fish. They really like the ice sculptures; they rub themselves against them and chip away at them all day.”
All this week, the well-known “deckchair man” Dusty Miller was busy renting deckchairs, windbreaks and loungers to sun-seekers and families playing in the sand on Yarmouth’s Golden Mile beach.
“We want this weather,” said Dusty, who swims in the sea three times a day in the summer months.
“The hot weather has warmed the waves up nicely,” he added.
Also trying to keep cool on the seafront were staff at Lee’s and T’s beachfront cafe who, on Wednesday, served ice cream treats to children from North Denes Junior School who were enjoying a picnic trip.
According to the Met Office, mercury rose to more than 28C in parts of Norfolk this week and Great Yarmouth did not miss out on the heatwave. The weather experts have predicted that things will cool off today (Friday) before temperatures soar again, reaching 29C tomorrow (Saturday).
Meanwhile, Norfolk Police have issued advice on staying safe in the hot weather.
Officers are reminding people to avoid excess alcohol and to take care near open water.
Superintendent Dennis Lacey said: “It is difficult to judge how deep the water is and there can also be obstructions underneath the surface where people could become trapped.
“We urge people not to go into rivers, lakes and open water and ask parents to make sure their youngsters know about the dangers and go to the local swimming pool, where they can have fun and be safe.”
But fun can still be had in the water, as shown by the Estelle Clifton dancers who took a break from their show at the Hippodrome Circus to cool off on the beach.
Earlier in the week, county rail passengers felt the full force of the heatwave as a buckled train line caused severe delays to services to and from London.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here