SOUTHAMPTON residents basked in three days of glorious sunshine this Easter bank holiday weekend – one of the hottest on record so far.

Temperatures peaked at 25.5C in Hampshire on Saturday, making the hottest day of the year so far.

Sunseekers soaked up the warm weather, with some taking to parks, pools and beauty spots across the county.

Carmen Marcu enjoyed ice cream in Houndwell Park with her seven-year-old daughter, Ingrid.

She told the Daily Echo: “We’ve been playing in the park and eating ice cream.

“We went to Mayflower Park on Saturday.

“It’s nice to be able to enjoy this weather over a bank holiday weekend.”

Gretea Kassay was catching some sun in the park with her friends Kevin Mckenzie and Andy Chow.

The 31-year-old said: “I’ve been loving the sunshine.

“It’s been amazing to have a bank holiday so hot.

“I don’t want to go back to work whilst the weather’s like this.”

Kevin, 33, added: “I went on holiday to Mexico last year, and this is just like being back there.”

Nizar Karim enjoyed an ice cream with his partner, dad and son.

He told the Daily Echo: “My father is visiting us from Saudi Arabia so we’ve been walking around and enjoying the sun.

“The Easter break came at the right time, and we’ve been trying to enjoy it as much as we can before the rain ruins the fun.

“My dad last came in October and it rained the whole time, so it makes a change.”

The good news for those looking to soak up one more day of Bank Holiday sun is that experts are predicting another hot day today.

A Met Office spokesperson said: “Monday will be very warm, but the onshore breeze will take the edge off temperatures near the coast.

"It will be dry with sunny spells, these becoming increasingly hazy through the afternoon.

“The maximum temperature is expected to be 26C.

“It will be warm inland, but cooler and breezier towards the coast.”

The hottest temperature recorded on an Easter Monday was 24 degrees celcius, also in Hampshire, in 2011.

The UK’s warmest Easter temperature was 29.4C, recorded in London on the Saturday in 1949.

It doesn’t seem this most recent hot spell will be around for the long haul however.

The Met office states that thundery showers are expected on Wednesday and Thursday, with temperatures returning to average for late April.