Glorious weekend gives way to chills
Region basks in the warmest weather of the year so far but it’s all downhill from here, warn forecasters
The region basked in glorious sunshine on the hottest weekend of the year so far, but forecasters put a dampener on it by predicting the unseasonably warm run-up to Easter would not last.
THE REGION basked in glorious sunshine on the hottest weekend of the year so far, but forecasters put a dampener on it by predicting the unseasonably warm run-up to Easter would not last.
Across Yorkshire, people made the most of a weekend of fine weather by taking to the beach, parks, walks and attractions.
Yesterday saw the warmest temperatures, with some parts of Yorkshire feeling the heat at well above 20C (68F).
In the east, around Hull and Beverley, the mercury touched 22C and even locations higher above sea level, such as Skipton, the gateway to the Yorkshire Dales, reached 18C.
Crowds of visitors headed to the East Coast to enjoy a paddle on a packed South Bay beach at Scarborough. The boost in visitor numbers was welcomed by traders who said the resort was hotter than its Spanish counterparts.
John Senior, chairman of the South Bay Traders’ Association said: “I was in Marbella last week and it is warmer in Scarborough.
“It has been very busy, it has been superb. When the sun shines on the Yorkshire Coast there is no finer place to be and hopefully we can look forward to visitors all over the summer.”
Meanwhile, animals at the Yorkshire Wildlife Park, near Doncaster, were also trying to keep their cool.
Meerkats, hogs, baboons and monkeys all enjoyed ice blocks and lollies while the otters, polar bears and tigers took advantage of their pools.
Director Cheryl Williams said: “It was great to see the animals enjoying the sun and their special ice-lollies while the animals with water in their reserves have loved jumping in the pools. It was a fantastic opportunity for the visitors to see something a bit different, too.”
Elsewhere in the country sunseekers hit the beaches as Wales had a high of 20.3C, Scotland saw the mercury rise to 18.2C while Northern Ireland experienced a cooler 16.1C.
The sun didn’t spread as much joy for everyone though as motorists faced long delays on the A64 between York and Scarborough following a serious accident near the York ring road and in the Yorkshire Dales there was a three-car crash at White Scar Caves which closed roads near the Ingleton beauty spot.
Also yesterday, in Devon, the fire service were called out to help an elderly woman who had to be cut free after becoming trapped in a sun lounger.
Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service said they used cutters and bolt croppers to release the woman, who was given oxygen after the ambulance service was called.
A large number of beachgoers were also caught out by the incoming tide in Whitby but managed to make it back to dry land safely.
However, summer sun is not set to last as the Met Office predicts that today temperatures will be at least 10C cooler and are unlikely to reach the highs we have seen in time for the forthcoming Easter break.
Cloudy spells and rain showers are forecast from today and throughout the rest of the week.
Forecaster Emma Boorman said: “From today onwards it’s really all change. Temperatures will return to normal for this time of year but because we have been spoiled with such good weather it will be a lot more noticeable and feel cooler.”
When the sun shines on the Yorkshire Coast there is no finer place to be. John Senior, chairman of the Scarborough South Bay Traders’ Association.