IT COULD finally be time to get out the barbecue and the bucket and spade as temperatures to rival Ibiza hit Dorset.

And there will be plenty of places to enjoy a drink in the sun as well as new research reveals Weymouth and Portland to be one of the bar and pub capitals of the UK.

A mini heatwave is heading for the country as a tropical continental air mass from North Africa heads to our shores, according to the Met Office.

Temperatures are expected to reach at least 19 degrees in Weymouth and 20 degrees in Bridport. The sunny weather is sure to be a welcome sight for traders, residents and holiday-goers after a mixed bag of weather over the last bank holiday weekend, in addition snow, hail and sleet the week before.

Kim Gay, manageress at Rossi’s on the Esplanade, said business was already beginning to pick up as the weather has improved this week.

She said: “We need some good weather. Even the last few days its just been nice to have the window open and see the people walking past and for them to pop in for an ice cream.

“Business is looking good. If we can have a good summer this year year it would be really nice. Fingers crossed this year.”

A Met Office spokesperson said other parts of the south could see highs of up to 25C this weekend. They added it would be gradually becoming warmer in the South West over the next few days, with “mild and frost-free nights” and dry weather throughout.

The average temperature in Dorset for this time of the year is around 16 degrees.

Hotelier Jason Osborne, who is also the borough council’s spokesman for tourism, culture and harbour, said heatwaves were always good news for Weymouth’s economy but particularly when they coincided with a weekend.

He said: “I would imagine lots of hoteliers, restaurateurs, pub landlords and lots of shops are really looking forward to a bumper time.

“I know for a fact the footfall increases in Weymouth when we have warmer weather at the weekend and we are expecting masses and masses of people because this will really be the first weekend of the year when we have had some high temperatures.

“We are very excited by it and we are expecting numbers to swell to capacity.”

Research by a national newspaper this week has also revealed that Weymouth and Portland is one of the bar and pub capitals of the UK, meaning there will be plenty of places to make the most of the hot weather.