With temperatures peaking in the mid twenties, it has been around 10 degrees warmer on Wearside and Tyneside than you would normally expect at this time of spring.
On Wednesday (April 30) the Met Office confirmed April has been then sunniest on record which was then followed up yesterday, May 1, with confirmation that the first day of May was the hottest on record with the mercury hitting 29.3 degrees Celsius in Kew Gardens.
In scenes more akin to the Costas, people have been flocking to the region’s beaches to sunbathe, swim in the sea and enjoy a range of beach sports - and we’ve caught it all on camera.
Checkout these 12 fantastic photographs of people enjoying fun in the sun.
1. Heatwave hits Wearside and Tyneside
People have been out and about enjoying the warm sunny weather. | SN Photo: SN
3. Time for a stroll
People enjoying a walk in the sun along the promenade at Seaburn Beach. | sn
4. Time to hit the beach
People flocked to the beaches at Sunderland and South Shields. | sn