Unsettled weekend brings all kinds of weather to Suffolk and Essex

Bolts of lightning during the storms above Ipswich in the early hours of Saturday, pictured by Tina Boniface (Image: Archant)

Umbrellas replaced shirtsleeves and sunscreen on Sunday as rain fell in fits and starts throughout the morning and into the early afternoon.

The sun remained largely obscured by rain clouds, making for overcast and sodden ‘summertime’ events across the county, until things brightened up later on.

The weather had turned violent in some areas during the early hours of Saturday morning, with lightning strikes illuminating skies in Felixstowe and striking homes in Braintree and Hutton, Essex. But the heavens cleared to make way for glorious uninterrupted sunshine.

Dan Holley, of Weatherquest, said Sunday’s unsettled conditions were a hangover from Saturday’s storms. “A southerly flow in the upper part of the atmosphere brought a cold front that went through with all the storms,” he added.

Lightning, taken from Tacket Street by Daniel Bruce (Image: Archant)

“A little disturbance in the jet stream over the Bay of Biscay pushed that front back towards us.”

Charsfield, near Woodbridge, enjoyed the hottest weather on Saturday – notching up a temperature of 29.1C – considerably higher than the 20/21C average for this time of year.

Mr Holley said Sunday’s erratic weather may continue into Monday evening and Tuesday but that things were likely to improve as the week went on.

“Monday will be mostly dry with cloud tending to increase in the evening. It may bring a spot of rain but temperatures will be easily around 22, 23 and possibly 24C,” he said.

Lightning strikes in Frinton-on-Sea (Image: Nigel Pepper)

“A front from the west on Tuesday will be slow moving, so it’s difficult to get the timing right, but it will be more showery with a chance of heavy thundery showers.”

Isolated showers are expected on Wednesday but high pressure will build towards a mainly dry end of the week.