THERE were sunny scenes across South Lakeland and north Lancashire this week as locals and visitors alike basked in the scorching temperatures.

The first week of the summer holidays saw many youngsters taking advantage of the hot weather by taking to the beaches at Arnside to play in the sand.

And ice creams and picnic baskets became a familiar sight throughout the week as those further inland flocked to parks and gardens.

Sun worshippers could be seen at many of the area’s most popular spots, including the Glebe at Bowness and Devil’s Bridge at Kirkby Lonsdale.

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On several of Cumbria’s roads, including the A595, county council gritters were spreading crushed rock dust in an effort to protect road surfaces after high temperatures led to a risk of bits of the road surface becoming stuck to tyres.

Kendal was lit up with colour as it showed off bright hanging baskets and floral displays of this year’s Cumbria in Bloom entries.

The hot weather also made for a successful day at Cartmel Races on Monday, with thousands of race-goers able to soak up the sun trackside as they cheered on the horses and riders.

The Visitor Centre at Brockhole reported that Wednesday was their best day of the week, with 1,430 visitors passing through the doors.

The Environment Agency warned that potentially toxic blue green algae bloom was detected on the western shore of Windermere on July 8. People are advised not to swim amongst algae bloom and to keep pets out of water where it is present.

Yesterday saw the hottest temperatures of the week, with thermometers hitting highs of 26 degrees by mid afternoon.

Top temperatures in the past week saw last Thursday (July 17) reach 24.1C and 23.8C on Sunday.

The Met Office has forecasted temperatures of 25 degrees on today and Friday with night time temperatures of around 14 degrees.

But the scorching sun is not expected to last through the weekend with ‘medium-level cloud’ expected on Sunday, although temperatures of 24 degrees are expected. Sunday could bring light rain showers to the area with forecasted temperatures of 21 degrees.