Revellers would agree that the only thing missing from Monday's explosion of culture and colour on the road would have been a few showers to ool them down.

A senior official of the Meteorological Services described Monday's 31.9° C temperature that confronted revellers along the road on Kadooment Day as among the hottest in recent times.

"We are into the hottest months and it's strictly the summer heat," he pointed out, noting that over the past four days the temperatures were n the 30° Celsius category."

All that aside, thousands of locals and tourists alike jammed all the way from the National Stadium in sweltering heat to the festival's biggest hits.

Edwin Yearwood was eventually crowned Tune of The Crop King for his offering Handle Yah Business.

For the first time ever the organisers, the National Cultural Foundation tested a double route for the bands which saw eight of them come down Bush Hall Main Road to meet at the traffic lights and from most reports it served its purpose but did not always satisfy the spectators or the vendors on that route.

For some bands, the wait at the junction when another band was approaching it from the other route was no problem as it gave them more time to party.

Betty West's band Ah Feelin So took away top honours for Large Band Of The Year while Gwyneth Squires took Festival Designer Of The Year.

Some revellers' only complaint was that the last lap on the Spring Garden Highway finished way too early.

The Royal Barbados Police Force recorded no serious incidents and said that given the various concerns leading up to Monday's celebration, that was remarkable. (PCA)