BANK Holiday celebrations could turn into something of a damp squib as snow, sleet, hail and rain are all expected to sweep across the region this weekend.

BANK Holiday celebrations could turn into something of a damp squib as snow, sleet, hail and rain are all expected to sweep across the region this weekend.

Tourism chiefs remain in buoyant mood in what is one of the region's busiest weekends of the year, but weather experts said the outlook is bleak, with icy Arctic blasts set to move in from the north of the UK.

Emma Coombs, from Weatherquest, said today would be quite breezy with frequent showers and overnight would see increasingly wintry showers.

She said: “It's not until Saturday that it will get really cold when we have air coming down from the Arctic.

“It's likely to bring snow showers with some sunshine in between but it could accumulate if it falls for longer periods. That's when we could see some of the white stuff.”

Ms Coombs said the temperature over the weekend was likely to be around 5C or 6C - compared to the average for this time of year which is 8C and on Sunday there is likely to be some periods of sleet or snow.

However tourism chiefs are urging members of the public not to be put off by the weather.

Scott Dolling, marketing manager at the Suffolk Tourism Partnership, said: “The predicted weather for the Easter bank holiday isn't great news for the tourism industry, but the experience last year was that indoor attractions and town centres benefited when the weather was poor, so there's still plenty to do.”