Crowds flock to South Shields seafront to enjoy sunny Easter Bank Holiday Monday

Families could be seen queuing up to pay for parking on the Dragon, Bents Park, on Bank Holiday Monday, as they made their way to enjoy the sunny weather on the beach.

For once the good weather landed on a Bank Holiday weekend so that people had four days to make the most of the warm temperatures.

On Good Friday huge queues gathered at Coleman's in the town as people waited for there traditional fish and chip tea.

Hordes of people filled up the seafront beer gardens and many visitors were even taking a dip in the sea.

With highs of 22 degrees in the region, the weather was warmer than some places in Spain over the weekend, with temperatures in the likes of Madrid only hitting around 15 degrees.

Met Office forecaster Marco Petagna said: "We have got high pressure moving at the moment giving most of the UK a lot of fine weather, this combined with the fact that the high pressure has dominated for the past few days is allowing the temperatures to heat and build."

The UK's warmest Easter temperature was in 24.6C which was reached at Heathrow, but it failed to top the highest Easter temperature on record which was 29.4C recorded at Camden Square in London on Easter Saturday in 1949.

But sadly the good weather doesn't look likely to stay.

Although Tuesday will remain dry with periods of hazy sunshine, and 11 degrees, the Met Office is reporting that thundery showers will be spreading north on Wednesday, with further thundery showers Thursday.

Temperatures will also be closer to normal with highs of 13 degrees.