SUN worshippers and students embracing their final stretch of school holiday rejoiced yesterday as the mercury crept upwards.

Forecasters expect temperatures to hit highs of 26 degrees celsius in Oxford today, a few degrees cooler than yesterday.

The Met Office upgraded Oxfordshire's warm weather warning from level one to level two, meaning there is a 60 per cent chance of heatwave conditions.

Artist Joshua Squashua, pictured, managed to find a sliver of shade to crouch in near Radcliffe Camera as he documented the sunny scene on canvas.

Emma Sharples, a spokeswoman for the Met Office, said the level two warning will stay in place until 9am on Friday but there could be a warm "boost" on Saturday.

Families filtering into foodie heaven at The Big Feastival near Chipping Norton this weekend, or setting up camp for the bank holiday, can expect tents to stay toasty as temperatures hover around 23-25 degrees celsius.