A million people were expected in west London as record temperatures soared to between 32 and 33 degrees

“Find someone to dance with!” shouted an MC sat on top of a soundsystem being driven up the Notting Hill Carnival parade route. “Do something crazy!”

On cue, hundreds of people wearing bright yellow T-shirts splattered with paint screamed and danced up Ladbroke Grove in west London behind a convoy of trucks carrying speaker stacks , as the first day of Europe’s biggest street party got under way.

A million people were expected to attend over the weekend, already the hottest late August bank holiday on record as the temperature reached close to 32 degrees on Sunday afternoon.

“It’s very jubilant at the minute,” said Kenyon West, as he sipped a drink from a tube attached to his rucksack. “The atmosphere is really kicking off. Its eccentric. At the minute, everyone is just warming up on the road just trying to get the best of it before it all ends and that’s what it’s all about.

“I’ve been going to carnival all my life. I’m from the Caribbean so that’s the birthplace of carnival. I’m just here living my best life. Its very flamboyant, lots of colours, lots of paint, lots of love. We know how to party.”

Tia Dorsia, who has attended so many carnivals she is unable to remember how many she has been to, said: “It’s just positive vibes all the way. Everyone’s happy the sun is shining, everybody’s drinking, having a great time.”

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Tia Dorsia and Kali Pearson. Photograph: Mattha Busby

Her friend Kali Pearson, also part of a troupe following the North London soundsystem Tears Mas, explained how important carnival was to people of Caribbean descent. “You can’t take this away from us,” she said. “There’s people in this band [of dancers] that I’ve never met before but we’ll be friends by the end of it.”

The sounds of the Jamaican reggae singer Koffee and trap producer DJ Snake boomed out as MCs called out to the crowd asking who was single.

At 3pm, however, the sound systems fell quiet and the crowd observed 72 seconds of silence in memory of the 72 people killed in the Grenfell Tower fire before the festivities resumed.

Jacqui Daniels, 77, from west London, remembers the first carnival in 1966, an offshoot of the Trinidad carnival. “It was quiet,” she said. “It’s grown beyond imagination since then. It’s part of our culture too now. I’m going to party as long as my legs can stand it.”

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Jacqui Daniels. Photograph: Mattha Busby

As partygoers wearing sequined swimsuits and feathered outfits danced to Capleton’s dancehall classic Tour another MC declared: “We came to shut down the road,” and the crowd roared in approval.

Natasha Atterburgh, 44, who was dancing nearby with her daughter, said she had come to carnival every year since she was 17. “It’s the most amazing time of the year. This is a day of celebration to let go and just be ourselves.”

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Natasha Atterburgh. Photograph: Mattha Busby

Police officers have in the past been photographed dancing with the crowds at previous carnivals, but this year they have been asked to focus on doing their job.

“There are always going to be different views on dancing and with the music being so fantastic it’s so hard not to dance sometimes, but we have asked officers to remember what they are there for - to keep carnival-goers safe and be vigilant,” said Supt Elisabeth Chapple. “That probably means they won’t be dancing.”

One officer, however, said: “It would depend who wants to dance with me.”