The Environment Secretary Michael Gove will be one of the visitors at the showground today.

He'll be looking around the 'innovation hub' to find out more about the latest agricultural technology.

The show's director, Mark Nicholas says innovation is the main theme of this year.

"The innovation hub located close to the Grand Ring is the flagship of the innovation theme where there's a great collection, a great showcase of the agri-tech research and development, businesses, that exist in the Norwich cluster," he said.

Zoe Applegate
BBC News

Our reporter Zoe Applegate is now in the showground and her advice is to get there by bus:

Things improving on the roads:

It's a wet start to this year's Royal Norfolk Show today with some saying they haven't seen this kind of downpour for the show since 1985.

These brave souls arrived early and the good news is the weather is set to improve later.

So don't let the clouds put you off. Think of the fashion, the clothes, the animals, the food!

And this year there's gin and tea, too - more on that later.

Some people took the opportunity to take cover and get a ringside seat.

Mariam Issimdar
BBC News

On a damp start to day one of the Royal Norfolk Show, visitors will see a much more visible security presence this year.

Image source, Getty Images

More police officers will be around the site to provide assurance to around 80,000 visitors over the two days.

BBC Radio Norfolk's Nick Conrad has already started on the wine!

He's of course been celebrating with the owner of Winbirri Vineyards, external, based in Surligham which produced the world's best white wine for under £15 a bottle.

Lee Dyer says he sold a year's worth of white in the first two weeks of winning the Decanter World Wine Awards last month.

He says the plan was to "keep expanding but not at the expense of quality.

"So now it's about restricting the flow and ensuring it lasts," he added.

BBC Radio Norfolk presenter Nick Conrad forgot his mac this morning so has been forced to wear what can only be described as a shower curtain!

Do send us pictures of yourselves in your finest rainwear! Click the 'Get involved' button at the top of this stream to do so.

The brollies are up and the public are starting to drift in. We're a hardy lot in Norfolk.

Apparently there are a lot of marquees there this year, so you should be able to dodge the rain and keep dry.

It's not looking good on the A11 either, so allow more time for your journey:

Allow extra time if you're planning to drive to the show:

BBC Weather

A yellow weather warning for Norfolk remains in place although the heavy rain will gradually move northwards as drier but still mainly cloudy conditions follow from the south.

A top temperature of 19C - that's 66F. It will be chillier on the Norfolk coast.

So hang on to those brollies!

BBC Weather has more local forecasts.

Mariam Issimdar
BBC News

Good morning!

It's extremely soggy out there but we're really hoping the weather won't dampen spirits today at the Royal Norfolk Show where the gates have just opened.

The annual agricultural based event celebrates the best of Norfolk.

So don that pack-a mac, put your best wellies on and get down to the showground for some rural fun.

If you can't make it, as well as our regular updates, BBC Radio Norfolk will be broadcasting live from the show over the two days.

I'm told the weather should improve, a full forecast follows next.

That's it for our live updates today - we'll be back from 08:00 on Wednesday with some of the sights and sounds of the Royal Norfolk Show 2017.

Unfortunately our friends at BBC Weather are forecasting a wet one - but there's no such thing as bad weather - just the wrong clothes... and with wellies so on-trend this year, no one will be putting a foot wrong I'm sure.

You can share this and all your experiences of the show via the 'Get involved' button at the top of this stream, or tweet us @BBCNorfolk.

Finally, traffic can be a problem getting in and out of the show - so here's a view details on the best way, external to travel.

Have a fun.

BBC Weather

Some of us have been dreaming of a proper downfall so here it is at long last - and the weather's set to be changeable for the rest of the week.

This evening and tonight will continue generally wet and cloudy with further outbreaks of rain, some heavy and thundery. Temperatures will hover around 13C (55F).

Image source, BBC Weather

Tomorrow will see a wet start but this will gradually clearing northwards with brighter spells.

Showers though will develop from the south later, some heavy and thundery. The top temperature will be around 19C (66F).

BBC Weather, external has the detailed forecast where you live.

Mariam Issimdar
BBC News

The Royal Norfolk Show, external opens tomorrow and the two-day annual event is set to be full of delights for all the family.

The star performers this year are bound to be the King's Troop which we're told, rarely perform outside London.

You can catch a quick look at them in the video put up on this stream a little earlier.

Celebrity farmer, Jimmy Doherty, will be attending in his capacity as President of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust, tomorrow.

Show and programmes director, Mark Nicholas, says "Jimmy encompasses everything the show is about and he's a real champion of food, farming and the countryside."

The show has been going for 150 years and its celebration of food, farming and the countryside sees it attracting about 80,000 visitors over the two days.

More than 700 businesses regularly trade at the event but they'll also be some new faces including Winbirri Vineyards based in Surlingham.

They won the accolade of producing world’s best single varietal white wine at the internationally renowned Decanter World Wine Awards 2017 beating 17,200 entrants.

Dressed for any occasion, we've got our sun-cream and wellies ready and will have updates from the showground for you over the next couple of days.

BBC Look East's Andrew Sinclair doesn't just do politics you know... it seems this afternoon's deluge has revealed his inner weatherman! We'll have the full forecast before we go at 18:00.

Mariam Issimdar
BBC News

Power has been restored to some 500 properties in the Hunstanton area.

But UK Power Networks says 200 homes and businesses in the Sheringham area remain without electricity.

It says the power cut is due to an overhead line fault and that engineers are trying to fix the problem.

It's nothing to do with the weather... but the sound of hooves at speed as the King's Troop rehearse for this year's Royal Norfolk Show which opens tomorrow.

The King's Troop is doing two shows this summer - one for the Queen and one for visitors to the showground.

Lead has been stolen from a church roof in Westwick, near North Walsham.

Image source, Geograph/Evelyn Simak

Police say thieves targeted St Boltoph Church in Worstead Road on Thursday and stole 29m (95ft) of lead from the roof and damaged the building in the process.

Officers would like to hear from anyone who may have seen any suspicious activity to contact them.

A yellow weather warning has been issued for Norfolk which is facing an increasing risk of heavy rain and thunder through the afternoon and evening.

The Met Office, external says there is a risk of up to 2.5 inches (6cm) of rain in a short period of time and this could cause some localised flooding or disruption to transport.

A full weather forecast will be follow later.

Mariam Issimdar
BBC News

More than 500 properties are without power in parts of the county.

UK Power Networks, external says an overhead electricity line fault has caused the problems in the Hunstanton area and it's dealing with them.

There are also 200 properties in the Sheringham area without electricity.