The Indian summer is in full swing in Yorkshire with temperatures in some areas logged as the highest since records began.

Stars from Emmerdale and Heartbeat enjoy York Races. Tricia Penrose, in a deep pink dress, plays barmaid Gina in Heartbeat. Next to her stands Louise Beattie, who plays lawyer Laura Johnston in Emmerdale. In front of Louise stands Malandra Burrows, who plays Cathy in Emmerdale

Scarborough beach was packed with tourists, punters flocked to York Races and many of York's attractions said they were enjoying a welcome boost to late season attendance figures thanks to the recent bout of September sunshine.

Weather experts said temperatures in Leeds, at 27C, were the highest for September since records began and at RAF Leeming the top temperature was 26C, only two degrees short of the 28C record set 50 years ago.

The highest temperature on record on September 2 was in 1906 at Bawtry, near Doncaster, when the thermometer tipped 35.6C.

Emmerdale and Heartbeat stars basked in the sunshine at York Racecourse as they took part in a photo shoot for a glossy magazine.

The shoot was managed so tightly it was difficult for the Evening Press to get any posed pictures, but our photographer managed to get this shot of Tricia Penrose, who plays Gina the barmaid in Heartbeat, with Louise Beattie, who plays lawyer Laura Johnston in Emmerdale and Malandra Burrows in the front.

According to a spokesman from PA weather centre our current spell of warm temperatures is being caused partly by air brought in by Hurricane Cindy, off the coast of the USA last week, and by warm south-westerly winds from the tropics.

He said the forecast for the weekend was more of the same with "fantastic" conditions in North Yorkshire, light winds, patchy cloud and high temperatures in the region of 25C and 26C.

Good news for Tony Robinson and the rest of Channel 4's Time Team which is busy uncovering York's archaeological treasures this weekend.

And the weather is providing a big boost to York's tourist's industry with attractions like the National Railway Museum recording their highest seasonal attendance figures for years.

More than 75,000 people visited the award-winning museum this month, the highest figures in six years and the Bank Holiday saw figures increase by well over a third.

Craig Wilson, marketing manager at York Tourism Bureau, said there was a feeling within the industry that figures for day visitors were up on previous years.

He said: "It is only a gut feeling at the moment as the figures won't come out for another six months yet but it seems like the day visitor is back in town."

He also said figures for July, taken by the bureau's visitors-to- attractions monitor showed a 30 per cent increase on last year.

Mr Wilson said: "This is obviously a healthy jump in figures."

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