IF you are looking forward to the long weekend and hoping that rain won't put a dampener on things here's some good news - the outlook for the next three days is for dry weather.

IF you are looking forward to the long weekend and hoping that rain won't put a dampener on things here's some good news - the outlook for the next three days is for dry weather.

East Anglia has already had nearly double its average monthly rainfall for August but the wet weather is expected to clear for the Bank Holiday weekend.

Evening Star weatherman Ken Blowers predicts cloudy but dry weather beginning this afternoon and continuing throughout the long weekend, with temperatures about 23C (73F).

"The rain area is clearing. It's all occurring on a cold front which is moving south-east and should be clear of East Anglia by noon," he said.

"The rest of the day should be chiefly dry.

"Saturday, Sunday and Monday for most of the time looks as if it's going to be dry as well."

The total August rainfall for the area has already reached 4.43 inches, nearly double the average rainfall for the month of 2.28 inches.

In the last 24 hours more than a quarter of an inch of rain has fallen.

The rain has forced organisers of this weekend's Eye Show to put in place emergency car parking arrangements after the wet weather made fields unusable.

Visitors to the show on the Norfolk/Suffolk border on Sunday and Monday will be asked to park on the nearby Eye Airfield and use a free Park and Ride bus service to the showground on Dragon Hill.

Show director Tim Seeley said: "This is a very rare occurrence. I can recall that about 20 years ago the car parks were very muddy and we had to make other arrangements."

Coaches will be running to the showground every few minutes and car drivers will be directed from the A140 and all approach routes to the Eye Airfield parking areas.

Car parking and the Park and Ride service will be free of charge. Some low-entry buses will be available to accommodate wheelchairs and child pushchairs.