Temperatures in Skipton were the warmest in Yorkshire today, with temperatures reaching 26ºC (78.8ºF).
Craven was warmer than popular European hotspots Ibiza, Rome and Barcelona.
Just a week ago, forecasters recorded two inches of rain in Craven, but today, there was not a drop of rain in sight.
The district's temperatures were not far behind the country's hottest place, on the south coast. In Southampton, the mercury reached 27.8ºC (82ºF) Average maximum temperatures for England in May are 14-17ºC.
Gemma Plumb, a forecaster at MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association, said that the warm weather will continue into the weekend.
"Tomorrow it's going to be a dry day for most places, with sunshine. Temperatures could reach 26-28ºC," she said.
"On Friday it's also looking very warm. It looks as though it's going to stay that way during Saturday and then into Sunday. There's a risk of a few showers across the south west of the UK, but most places should stay dry and sunny."
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