TODAY'S wonderful weather has had people out in troves enjoying the sunshine, with several even heading to the beach.

The sunshine really has been out in force, with Shoebury having been recorded by the Met Office as the sunniest place in East Anglia today.

However, it was also recorded as the 'lowest maximum temperature' today in the East, with Santon Downham, in Suffolk, rocketing up to 16.3 °C.

The average temperature for this time of year in south Essex is around 7°C, according to the Met Office, but today's forecast saw temperatures reaching around 13°C with blue skies all round!

The rest of February is set to be particularly mild, according to Chris Tubbs, deputy chief meteorologist, who said: “Although temperatures next week may not be as high as this weekend, it looks like temperatures will stay on the mild side for the rest of February.”