It was a glorious weekend for Suffolk as the sunny weather brought with it higher than average temperatures.

June 1 is treated by weather experts as the meteorological first day of the UK summer and it was certainly true in Suffolk this weekend.

On Saturday, temperatures soared to 25.6C in Suffolk, recorded at Santon Downham, but it got even hotter as temperatures reached a scorching 28.1C today - even higher than forecasts for Palermo in Sicily (21C) and Marseille in France (26°C).

Met Office meteorologist Emma Smith said the hot weather is the result of the jet stream moving north and high pressure and heat coming from the continent in the south.

She said on Saturday: "For this time of the year it should be 19 or 20C in London and in East Anglia it should be 18 or 19C.

"The last time we had 28C was August last year. It's hot for the time of year."

Weatherquest forecaster Adam Dury said this time last year average temperatures across the region were 22-24C.

Moving into this week, it will be a little cooler, with potentially highs in the low 20s or high teens and night-time temperatures of 9-10C.

"There may be a few showers around, it may be more unsettled than usual, but it will still be warm," he said.

Mr Dury added he doesn't believe we will see another long hot summer, but he did say it could still be drier and slightly warmer than average.

Elsewhere, cat owners were advised to apply a little sun cream to the ears of lighter-coloured or finer furred moggies to protect them from the UV.

The British Veterinary Association (BVA) also reminded dog owners to make sure their pets had plenty of water and fresh air.

Dogs, particularly flat-faced breeds such as pugs and bulldogs, are vulnerable to heatstroke.