AFTER three weeks of glorious sunshine the weather could be set to change dramatically this week, according to an expert.

Families spent parts of this weekend and the past few weeks soaking up the sun at beauty spots such as Edisford Bridge in Clitheroe.

But yesterday’s looming clouds overhead were a sign of things to come.

Rossendale meteorologist Matt Hugo said the past couple of weeks had been the best the region had seen since 2006.

He said: “The cloud cover at the weekend was just a local event, really.

“It wasn’t as good as it was meant to be, but it was only the East Lancashire area that was cloudy.

“The last couple of weeks has been the best spell we have had since about 2006 as the past few summers have been terrible.

“But it looks as though the end is nigh.”

Mr Hugo, of Loveclough, a Fellow of the Royal Meteorological Society who works for Weather Commerce, said the weather was set to become quite ‘unsettled’.

He said: “Over the next few days everything could change.

“It will still be warm, but there could be some thunderstorms and even hail.

“Today should be sunny spells and the temperature will still be in the high 20s.

“But that could change by the late afternoon and into Tuesday and Wednesday.”

And, after the region was placed on heatwave watch on Friday, Mr Hugo said there were chances of flooding on the way.

He said: “There will be unsettled conditions now right through to the end of July.

“There is a possiblity of some localised flooding as well.

“This is because the ground is so dry and hard that the moisture won’t be soaked up.”