THE sun appeared at last in Burnham over the weekend as people took off their coats and put on their shades for the first times in months.

Temperatures on Sunday reached 16° and people responded by visiting the beach and enjoying the sun after the wettest winter on record was starting to have a serious effect on business in the area.

Louise Parkin, manager of the Pavilion in Burnham, said: “It was marvellous. It was very busy and very welcome.

“It was great to see that people were out and were spending and that they wanted to be outside.

“The weekend couldn’t have been better planned. For people who leave their caravans here, this is when they come back.”

Public perception of flooding in Somerset was starting to damage tourism in the Burnham area.

Many hotels and attractions reported that tourists were calling up asking if they were still open because they were under the perception all of Somerset was underwater.

Business owners and community leaders across Somerset have been teaming up to send the message to the rest of the country that Somerset is open for business.

A spokesperson from Burnham Tourist Information said: “The floods aren’t making headlines any more and people’s memories are quite short.

“Tourism was down considerably over the half-term but now warmer weather has brought people out.”