Sunshine 'always helps tourism' The Suffolk Coast says

Yesterday, the EADT reported how temperatures had hit 27.7C at Santon Downham on Tuesday and the mercury was expected to go even higher on Wednesday and Thursday, possibly reaching 30C or 31C.

However, temperatures are expected to return to more normal values for the time of year by Friday, between 22 and 24C.

READ MORE: People flock to Felixstowe to enjoy Suffolk summer sun

The long-overdue burst of heat has been welcomed by online tourist guide The Suffolk Coast, which provides information about breaks and activities.

Annie Willey, brand manager for The Suffolk Coast, said: "The sunshine always helps tourism on the Suffolk coast and has finally arrived after a tough start to the year.

"A major impact of the weather is that people leave it until the last minute to book breaks and make decisions around days out.

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Glenn Buckingham, chair of Suffolk's NFU branch, welcomed the increased sunlight this week (Image: Charlotte Bond) "Very last-minute bookings have become part of an operators routine now, requiring even more flexibility, something the brilliant tourism businesses in East Suffolk always rise to the challenge of."

Glenn Buckingham, chair of the National Farmers Union's (NFU) Suffolk branch, said the weather was 'fantastic' and an 'absolute relief' after a long period of wet, dull weather.

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The farmer at the Helmingham Estate, near Debenham, said the sunlight helps crops to assimilate nitrogen and makes for a better yield, particularly of sugar beet, barley and wheat.

He added last year's 'dull' summer meant that the grain quality overall was 'poor'.

"The sunlight ensures a better harvest with more quality, which means we have got something good to put to the market," he added. 

READ MORE: Suffolk news