Sun worshippers broke out the deck chairs and slapped on the sun cream to enjoy the hottest October weekend on record.

Thousands enjoyed the unseasonal weather, which the Met office has confirmed as a new high for the month.

Saturday’s temperature hit degrees 28.3C at RAF Brize Norton, breaking the previous October record of 26.7C from 1984. The mercury stayed high yesterday, too, hitting 26.9C.

However, forecasters are predicting cooler weather for the rest of the week.

Among the crowds enjoying the sun beside the Thames on Oxford’s Port Meadow on Saturday afternoon were Eve and Bill O’Mahony, and their three labradors.

Mrs O’Mahony, from Westcot, in Buckinghamshire, said: “We just came for the day and it was lovely.

“The dogs enjoyed a nice walk and a swim. I cannot believe it is October. We had so much planned for this weekend, but we cancelled it all to just enjoy the sun.”

She added: “Tesco can wait.”

Keith and Jessica Kelly, from Abingdon, made the most of the sunshine and took their toddler Maya to play in the town’s Abbey Meadows.

Mr Kelly said: “It is crazy to think that it is October.

“Maya had a lot of fun playing in the water. She loves it in Abbey meadows. All of the children seemed to be having a lot of fun.”

But, if the experts are to be believed, the weather is set to take a more autumnal turn, with even a chance of rain on Wednesday evening.

Met Office forecaster Paul Gundersen said: “Some people are calling this an Indian summer, but that is not technically correct in terms of the classical definition.

“For that we would expect it to occur a little bit later in the season, more like later in October or November. But it has still been a very warm spell of weather for many of us.”

Mr Gundersen said the late sunny weather was down to an area of high pressure across central Europe, drawing up very warm air from the south.