SUNSHINE breaking through the mist greeted Suffolk residents today.And it seems summer is on its way, certainly for the next few days with weekend temperatures expected to be well above the April average.

SUNSHINE breaking through the mist greeted Suffolk residents today.

And it seems summer is on its way, certainly for the next few days with weekend temperatures expected to be well above the April average.

There was another harbinger of warmer days ahead last night when three swallows glided into Suffolk.

As the cold east wind finally began to lose its power - and the temperatures rose - the trio came across the coast at Trimley Marshes and flew off towards Trimley St Mary.

While swallows often arrive in the UK in April - after flying thousands of miles from their winter feeding grounds in Africa - the main arrivals are in May, in time for a frenzied breeding season.

Another summer visitor, the cuckoo, arrives at roughly the same time as the swallow. But this year the cuckoo appears to have won the trans-continental race - one was heard in Trimley St Mary two weeks ago.

This Saturday is expected to be sunny with the mercury hitting 64F (18C).

Evening Star weather man Ken Blowers said: “Saturday is going to be the best day and temperatures could reach 64F. “It will be one of the warmest days since the Autumn.”

With temperatures yesterday reaching 60F, (16C) - the warmest day for 16 days - temperatures today are expected to reach 57f (14C).

Mr Blowers said: “The weather is coming in from the Atlantic now. There may be a bit of rain but it will still be quite warm.

“Thursday will see showers coming from the West and on Friday things will be improving. There will be a much warmer spell at the end of the week.

“On Sunday there may be showers but I am quite sure it will continue to be warm.”

Mr Blowers said that weather systems from the east that caused widespread wintry showers and dropping temperatures had now been taken over by Atlantic weather systems.

He said: “The weather of the last three weeks coming from the East is over. This will have been one of the coldest April's in the last 12 years. We have had strong winds and snow and on April 6 we had the coldest day, when it snowed, with temperatures dropping to 39F 4C.”