South Tyneside enjoys first taste of summer as temperatures hit 24C

There were clear skies and high temperatures as families walked along Sandhaven Beach in South Shields.

Temperatures reached as high as 24C as people made the most of the summery conditions.

Many families took to the beach in South Shields while others soaked in the sun in the borough’s parks as they enjoyed temperatures which are more than twice the average for this time of year.

People enjoy the sun in the South Marine Park, in South Shields.

It was warmer in South Tyneside than in many of the world’s most popular holiday destinations, including Ibiza, Barcelona and Kavos.

As well as the sun, there were clear skies and little more than a breeze, with the borough able to enjoy its first real taste of summer.

The country has been enjoying a mini-heatwave over recent days, just weeks after being blasted by the Beast from the East as heavy snow and freezing temperatures struck.

Those conditions now seem a long time ago as people dust off the sun cream and leave their coats at home.

Daisy Turner making sandcastles on Sandhaven Beach in South Shields.

Some parts of the South East enjoyed temperatures as high as 28C on what was expected to be recorded as the hottest April day in almost 70 years. In South Tyneside, it is expected to cool somewhat in the coming days, with temperatures today expected to reach 17C.

Saturday’s high is forecast to be 13C, and the temperatures are predicted to stay at that level for the following days, with more cloud cover forecast.