Suffolk sweltered on Friday as the UK experienced its third hottest day on record.

East Anglian Daily Times: Sisters Eleanor, Alice and Emily. Felixstowe sea front Picture: CHARLOTTE BONDSisters Eleanor, Alice and Emily. Felixstowe sea front Picture: CHARLOTTE BOND (Image: Charlotte Bond)

Nationally temperatures reached as high as 37.8C at Heathrow.

In Suffolk conditions were a little cooler with the mercury reading 32.4C at Santon Downham.

Buoyed by the heat, many hit the county’s beaches and parks to enjoy the clear blue skies and warm weather.

Despite the warm weather throughout the day, the conditions are not expected to last for long with the Met Office having put out a warning for thunderstorms overnight.

East Anglian Daily Times: Sisters Eleanor, Alice and Emily. Felixstowe sea front Picture: CHARLOTTE BONDSisters Eleanor, Alice and Emily. Felixstowe sea front Picture: CHARLOTTE BOND (Image: Charlotte Bond)

The weather is set to cool off in the next few days according to forecasters as the temporary hot snap ends.

Temperatures on Saturday will reach a high of 25 or 26C while on Sunday this will drop again to 21 or 22C.

Sunday will be the drier of the two days with a possibility of some showers during the day on Saturday with some particularly heavy showers in places.

The hottest day on record was 38.7C at Cambridge University Botanic Gardens last year, while the second hottest day was August 10 2003, when the mercury rose to 38.5C in Faversham, Kent.

East Anglian Daily Times: Sisters Eleanor, Alice and Emily. Felixstowe sea front Picture: CHARLOTTE BONDSisters Eleanor, Alice and Emily. Felixstowe sea front Picture: CHARLOTTE BOND (Image: Charlotte Bond)

East Anglian Daily Times: Sisters Eleanor, Alice and Emily. Felixstowe sea front Picture: CHARLOTTE BONDSisters Eleanor, Alice and Emily. Felixstowe sea front Picture: CHARLOTTE BOND (Image: Charlotte Bond)

East Anglian Daily Times: Sisters Eleanor, Alice and Emily. Felixstowe sea front Picture: CHARLOTTE BONDSisters Eleanor, Alice and Emily. Felixstowe sea front Picture: CHARLOTTE BOND (Image: Charlotte Bond)

MORE: Warning issued as thunderstorms forecast for tonight

East Anglian Daily Times: Sisters Eleanor, Alice and Emily. Felixstowe sea front Picture: CHARLOTTE BONDSisters Eleanor, Alice and Emily. Felixstowe sea front Picture: CHARLOTTE BOND (Image: Charlotte Bond)

East Anglian Daily Times: Sisters Eleanor, Alice and Emily. Felixstowe sea front Picture: CHARLOTTE BONDSisters Eleanor, Alice and Emily. Felixstowe sea front Picture: CHARLOTTE BOND (Image: Charlotte Bond)

East Anglian Daily Times: Sisters Eleanor, Alice and Emily. Felixstowe sea front Picture: CHARLOTTE BONDSisters Eleanor, Alice and Emily. Felixstowe sea front Picture: CHARLOTTE BOND (Image: Charlotte Bond)

East Anglian Daily Times: Sisters Eleanor, Alice and Emily. Felixstowe sea front Picture: CHARLOTTE BONDSisters Eleanor, Alice and Emily. Felixstowe sea front Picture: CHARLOTTE BOND (Image: Charlotte Bond)

East Anglian Daily Times: Sisters Eleanor, Alice and Emily. Felixstowe sea front Picture: CHARLOTTE BONDSisters Eleanor, Alice and Emily. Felixstowe sea front Picture: CHARLOTTE BOND (Image: Charlotte Bond)