The sweltering weather in Sussex has been as hot as Rio.

Temperatures reached 24 degrees in Brighton yesterday, but the warmth may have melted some beach-goers common sense.

Groups of young men were seen taking their lives in their hands tombstoning from the doughnut groyne, next to the Palace Pier.

Lifeboat crews warned the stunt was extremely dangerous and could result in serious injury or death.

A spokesman for the RNLI said: “Jumping from piers and groynes, known as tombstoning, can be incredibly dangerous at any state of the tide for a number of reasons such as submerged rocks and strong currents.”

However lifesavers were resigned to the fact that the daredevil’s chosen method of cooling off happens regularly and warned those who are determined to jump to check the depth of the water, and never swim under the influence of drink or drugs.

Crowds of visitors flocked to the beach. Those enjoying the first barbecue of the season were urged to make sure their grills were properly out.

Preston Circus firefighter Norman Smith warned: “A lot of people use disposable barbecues while they are enjoying themselves on the beach.

“Many throw them into bins when they have finished with them, thinking that they are out. But the embers can still be capable of reigniting and setting fire to anything in the bins.

“People need to be sure they are really out before disposing of them safely.”

After one of the wettest Mays on record the fine weather is expected to last into the weekend.

Yesterday’s weather was so hot that a bus ground to a humid halt in Coldean on Tuesday night.

Passengers on the number 24 route at about 7.30pm on Tuesday said the driver blamed the sun for overheating the engine.

Zookeepers at Drusillas, in Alfriston, were getting the factor 50 out – but to protect the pigs’ delicate skin and the racoons were given fruit lollipops to keep cool.