ICE-CREAM vendors were busy keeping up with orders yesterday as islanders indulged in some fun in the sun. It was one of the hottest days of the year with temperatures reaching 27 degrees. The hot weather is forecast to continue until Wednesday, when it will turn cloudy with a risk of thundery showers.

‘When the weather’s like this the sale of ice-creams really goes up – and cool drinks. We struggle to keep up with the demand,’ said Nick Percy, owner of Vazon Bay Cafe.

‘Last year there was a month when it was hot like this and there was no rain and it was hectic in here. Seasons are changing and it’s just going to get hotter and hotter because of global warming.

‘People say, ﾓisn’t it a lovely day?ﾔ and most of the time I wouldn’t know – I’m stuck in the kitchen.’

It was not just beach kiosks feeling the heat. Barry Burton, 67, has worked in the Mister Softee ice-cream van next to Havelet Bay for four months.

He said the hot weather made a huge difference to trade. Last week when it was cloudy, trade was very poor.

When the schools break up for the summer next week, he said he would be rushed off his feet.

The 99 flake ice-cream is his biggest seller and the novelty of making one is yet to wear off.

‘It’s still fun. I’m a lot better at it now – it took me a long time to get the hang of it.

‘I’ll have one myself occasionally, but it’s like working in a chocolate factory, you’re surrounded by the stuff and it does put you off it,’ said Mr Burton, who is a retired gardener.

For holidaymaker Jane Garnett, 30, a sunny day is not complete without a double 99 flake.

‘There’s still something magical about them. They make you feel like a child again. I can’t walk past an ice-cream van without stopping to buy one.’