BYO...B? Not a beer crate in sight as Reading festival-goers turn up two days early ahead of event's kick off in glorious 80F heat

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Thousands of early-bird revellers rocked up two days early ahead of the Reading festival today as Britain basks in the barmy afterglow of the searing nation-wide heatwave - but not a beer crate was in sight as increasing numbers of Gen Zs turn their backs on alcohol.

Large groups of clean-cut young guys and girls posed for photos while lugging around rucksacks full of clothes and camping gear, suitcases and shopping bags full of food and drinks as they excitedly set themselves up for three days of sleeping in tents to watch headline acts including Arctic Monkeys and The 1975 at the music festival this weekend.

But the absence of beer crates - which tend to characterise other large-scale music events - among the sea of teenagers was notable.

A sea of bucket hats, camping bags, booze, and bright-coloured clothing washed the streets of Reading, Berkshire today as youthful festival-goers made their way onto the camping sites by foot and by squeezing into the shuttle buses running to the main gates.

Attendees lined the streets approaching the major music festival in their hundreds this year, despite any acts not starting until this Friday. They lugged camping equipment on trolleys as they passed local shops selling cans in bulk boxes and deckchairs. 

Josh Fisher, 18, of Amersham, Buckinghamshire,  said: 'We're here so we can set up early - we have a 30-man camp! I've been here once before last year, but this year we're most looking forward to seeing Dave and the Arctic Monkeys.'

Fans arrive for the early bird camping at Reading Festival in Berkshire today

A group of girls pose for photos with their camping gear as they arrive for Reading festival today

A female reveller lugs around camping gear and shopping bags ahead of Reading festival this weekend

Two revellers smile for photos as they prepare themselves for Reading festival, which begins on Friday

A group of teenagers smiles for photos as they carry suitcases and shopping bags ahead of the festival

Early arrivals stand outside the gates of the camping area of the Reading Festival today, as the town basks heat of in 27 Degrees Celsius (82.4F)

Early bird entries got themselves comfortable leaning by the gates as they waited to access the festival campsite

Two young women pose proudly with their tent equipment as they arrive in Reading today for the town's annual music festival, set to run from Friday until Sunday

A group of girls alight at Reading Train Station ready for festivities to begin on Friday

Loaded with luggage, a group of young people walk from Reading train stationawaiting the opening of the camp site at 6pm 

This afternoon will see temperatures climb to a maximum of 28C in the east of England

Today's warm weather will be followed by patches of rain and thunder in the south of England tomorrow, followed by a return to sunny conditions on Friday

The Met Office predicted some showers and thunder in the south of England tomorrow, before bright and sunny weather resumes on Friday.

A Met spokesman said: 'Today, a band of rain will move slowly southeastwards across Wales, northern and western England. Hot and humid in the southeast with sunny spells. Turning brighter and fresher in the northwest with a few showers. 

'Tonight, Rain edging slowly eastwards across England and dying out, but heavy, thundery rain will develop in the southeast later. Clear spells in the northwest with a few showers.

'Heavy, thundery rain in the southeast [will] slowly die out tomorrow. Most parts dry with warm sunny spells. A few showers in the far northwest, with more persistent rain arriving later.'

Luckily for festival goers in Reading, the south is set to remain clear and dry over the weekend, while patches of rain will affect the north of England. 

Reading Festival found itself mired in controversy two weeks ago when headliners Rage Against The Machine said they would not perform.

The band said they would not attend the festival as planned as they cancelled their 2022 European tour dates citing medical advice. This also included their planned performance at Leeds Festival.

Rage Against The Machine, best known for their songs 'Killing In the Name' and 'Bulls on Parade', had been set to headline at Reading alongside The Arctic Monkeys, Dave and Halsey. 

The rock group was later replaced by pop band The 1975. 

Music lovers walked alongside the River Thames as they headed to the festival area, waiting in advance for the site to open at 6pm

Music fans were pictured outside Reading Train Station in their festival gear as they travelled towards the grounds

Spirits were high among the early bird attendees for the Reading Festival, as the town enjoys weather of 27 Degrees Celsius (82.4F)

Festival-goers in Reading carried tent equipment, large backpacks and rolled up blankets as they waited outside the gates

One woman dragged a wheelie bin along the Thames as music fans poured into the town today

Two women shared the load of an extra large carrier bag, each taking a handle, as they travelled to the camp site with friends

July's heatwave set a new record for overnight temperatures, with the thermometer going through the night without falling below 26.8C in one location, the Met Office said.

The new highest daily minimum temperature was recorded at Shirburn Model Farm in Oxfordshire on July 19 at 4:32am.

That means the temperature never went below that level over a 24-hour period, setting a new record for the UK, the Met Office said.

The Met Office has already verified the UK's new hottest temperature record of 40.3C in Coningsby, Lincolnshire, set later in the day on July 19 - the first time the mercury smashed through the 40C threshold in the country.

The data from some weather stations is reported more slowly than others, which is why the new record for the daily minimum has only just been verified, replacing the previous record of 25.8C set at Kenley Airfield on the same day.

The atmosphere was jubilant as throngs of young people entered Reading waiting to set up their tents

Two girls pose happily outside the barrier as throngs of youngsters entered Reading today 

A group of young people carry heaps of luggage in Reading while travelling to the festival site

Heatwaves are being made more intense, frequent and likely by climate change, with the UK exceeding previous temperature records by significant amounts in July's unprecedented searing heat.

Met Office data quality manager, John Penman, said: 'This new record is another reminder of just how severe the heat was in July.

'What is remarkable is just how much this has surpassed the previous record, exceeding the August 1990 record of 23.9C by nearly three degrees.

'Much like the daytime highs, the overnight temperatures have smashed the previous records during a period of unprecedented heat in the UK.'

The record 40.3C high exceeded the previous record, set just three years ago of 38.7C in Cambridge in 2019, by more than two and half degrees Celsius.