EAST Lancashire basked in glorious sunshine with temperatures higher than most Mediterranean hotspots.

The area was treated to temperatures of 25°C (77°F) to 27°C (80.6°F) over the weekend.

It was even hotter than holiday destinations in Greece and Turkey which had temperatures at a paltry 21°C.

Experts said the weather was the result of an area of high pressure moving up from the south.

East Lancastrians brought out the barbecues and sunloungers, or headed off to rivers and beauty spots to make the most of the sunshine.

But East Lancashire will see only sunny intervals over the next few days as temperatures fall to between 13°C (55.4°F) and 20°C (68°F) And the Bank Holiday next weekend is likely to be unsettled with the risk of a few showers.

A spokeswoman for Sainsbury’s in Darwen said there had been a run on charcoal, beers and ice cream.

She said: “Our ordering department have coped very well and we’ve managed to keep stock on the shelves, but there’s definitely been a big demand for certain products.

"People have been coming in at the crack of dawn to get their suncream.”

People were queuing at The Range garden centre in Blackburn.

A spokeswoman said: “We’ve been doing really well on seasonal items like swings, gazebos, lots of barbecues.

"It’s been a superb weekend for trade.”

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