THE temperature in Barrow this weekend is set to be hotter than parts of Italy, Greece and France.

“It is pretty clear that the warm and sunny weather will continue into the weekend,” said Met Office forecaster, Bonnie Diamond.

“There will be plenty of sunshine, warm temperatures particularly in the north west of the UK.

“Cumbria could see some of the higher temperatures. It could see temperatures between 24 and 25 degrees over the weekend.”

Town leaders are calling for visitors to maintain social distancing.

Walney South councillor for Cumbria County Council, Frank Cassidy, urged visitors and locals alike to 'be responsible'.

"We're incredibly proud of our amazing beaches and coastline and we love to share our wonderful part of the world with others," Cllr Cassidy said.

"However, with the threat of a second peak of coronavirus cases very much on our doorstep, we need people to continue to be responsible.

"So if anyone does choose to visit Walney and make the most of the weather then we'd just remind them to maintain social distancing."

United Utilities has applied to take water from Ennerdale Water to help with supplies in the county and may take more measures if necessary.

A spokesman for Water UK, the trade association representing water companies, said: “There are no plans for any hosepipe bans this summer.

“It is always worth using water wisely, though, especially at the moment when people are spending more time at home.”