Glorious sunshine beamed down upon Ipswich as the mercury soared to 15C – matching temperatures in some parts of Europe.

And the good news is the mild weather is set to remain across the weekend – much to the joy of Ipswich residents.

The sunshine brought with it blue skies and summer-like temperatures, with dozens of people donning shorts and flip-flops.

Jim Bacon, of regional forecaster Weatherquest, said a top temperature of 15C was recorded in Ipswich yesterday – the same as popular tourist destinations Barcelona, Ibiza and Malta.

“Today there is still expected to be an easterly breeze with similar temperatures as yesterday but with a bit of cloud,” he said. “All in all not too bad a day.

“There will be much more cloud especially in the morning than we had yesterday.”

Scores of people made the most of the sunny weather with a walk along the Waterfront or enjoyed picnics in the park.

The weather is expected to remain dry and settled until the end of the week with the possibility for a patch of cloud to produce some showers to the west of Suffolk.

“Overall the high pressure will stay with us,” Mr Bacon added.

“People should just be aware that the wind coming from the east can make it feel fresher than it actually it, which it can sometimes do.”

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n Will you be jetting off on a foreign holiday this summer or will you be taking advantage of a staycation break? Write to Your Letters, Ipswich Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or e-mail starletters@archant.co.uk