RARE Bank Holiday Monday sunshine saw many East Lancastrians spend the day outside soaking up the sun.

As the mercury hit 23 degrees celcius in parts of the county, families, couples and friends took to the parks and countryside to enjoy the day.

Hundreds took part in the family fun fair at Corporation Park in Blackburn while others walked around the park’s lakes and played in the games area.

Gary Ball, who took his daughter Evie, 6, to the park, said: “It was great to get out and enjoy the sunshine.

“We don’t normally get Bank Holiday Mondays like this so it’s great to take advantage.”

The Met Office said Britons enjoyed the hottest early May bank holiday on record.

The maximum average temperatures for May are 13 degrees celcius in the north and 16 celcius in the south.

This weekend’s hot conditions have been created by a mix of low pressure, light winds and consistent sunshine.

The hot weather made perfect conditions for Blackburn’s beer festival over the weekend, with hundreds of beer enthusiasts quenching their thirsts at the town’s rugby club.

Accrington Stanley supporters cheered on their team at an open top bus parade through the town on Sunday.

Met Office forecaster Charlie Powell said the rest of the month's weather looked to be a mixed bag.

He said: “It looks like we should be prepared for some pretty changeable weather throughout the second half of May.

“We’re still going to see some dry days, but there’s still going to be some wet days mixed in as well.”

He said temperatures will generally be above normal, but this will depend on whether it is a sunny day or a sunny, wetter day.

He said: “It doesn’t look like it’s going to carry on with sunshine, light winds, high temperatures, that we have now.

“Neither does it look like it’s going to be a complete washout, horrible end to the month of May.

“But I think we can expect things to be not as warm as they are now, but also not as dry as they are now."