* IllicitEncounters.com is predicting its biggest ever Bank Holiday spike in new sign-ups as temperatures are forecast to hit 30°C this weekend
* A lethal combination of scorching heat, a three-day weekend and the “sundrunk” effect is expected to drive a surge in Brits seeking affairs
* Data from previous heatwaves shows sign-ups spike by up to 58% during hot weather – but a Bank Holiday weekend on top could smash all previous records
The Perfect Storm: Heat Meets a Long Weekend
Britain is bracing for a Bank Holiday heatwave – and it won’t just be the temperatures that are rising.
IllicitEncounters.com, the UK’s largest extramarital dating site, is predicting its biggest ever Bank Holiday surge in new sign-ups as forecasters confirm temperatures will hit 30°C this weekend. The combination of scorching heat and a three-day weekend is expected to create the perfect storm for a record-breaking ‘cheatwave’.
What the Data Tells Us
Last year, a single hot spell sent new registrations on the site soaring by 58% in just four days, peaking as temperatures hit 34.7°C. This weekend’s forecast of 30°C may be slightly cooler – but crucially, it arrives alongside a Bank Holiday weekend, a factor that the affairs site data suggests could more than make up the difference.
Expert Comment from Jessica Leoni
“We’ve never had both at the same time to this degree,” says Jessica Leoni, sex and relationships expert at IllicitEncounters.com. “Normally it’s one or the other – a heatwave, or a long weekend. This time we’ve got both, and the two feed each other in ways that are very predictable to us. Heat lowers inhibitions. A long weekend removes routine. Put them together and you have a very large number of people sitting in a garden with a cold drink, feeling restless, wondering what they’re missing.”
Who’s Most Likely to Sign Up This Weekend
Previous data from the affairs site shows that women make up 62% of new members during heatwave periods, with the biggest spike among 35–44-year-olds. 68% of those who joined during last year’s hot spell said the heat made them feel more impulsive, while 55% said the soaring temperatures gave them the final push to act on something they’d been considering for some time.
The Science Behind the ‘Sundrunk’ Effect
Experts point to a dangerous cocktail of hormonal surges, lowered inhibitions and “heatwave hedonism” – the tendency for Brits to collectively enter a holiday mindset the moment the sun comes out, even if they’re not going anywhere.
“We call it ‘sundrunk’,” says Leoni. “You’re sitting in the back garden with a glass of rosé and suddenly you feel like a completely different person. The rules feel more flexible. The consequences feel further away. And with three days stretching ahead of you, there’s suddenly plenty of time to act on it.”
Why Bank Holidays Are Already Peak Season for Affairs
The site’s own data shows that Bank Holiday weekends already represent one of the biggest sign-up periods of the year in their own right – with new registrations consistently up year-on-year over long weekends. The enforced togetherness of a three-day weekend at home has a way of clarifying things for people in unhappy or unfulfilling marriages. Add 30°C heat to that equation, and the site is expecting a record-breaking weekend.
