BBC Look East weather presenter Julie Reinger is to leave the corporation after more than 30 years.

Reinger, who joined the broadcaster in 1992, will celebrate her final day on air on Friday and said that it is the “right time to go”.

Starting her career as a newsroom assistant at BBC Radio Nottingham, the broadcaster, born and raised in Oxfordshire, moved on to spend 26 years presenting on BBC Look East.

She said: “It hasn’t been an easy decision to leave my Look East and local radio family, but it feels like this is the right time to go.

“It has been a privilege to bring our viewers and listeners their local forecast for so many years.”

“Come rain or shine, we’ve shared lots of fun and laughter along the way”, she added.

“I feel very blessed to have been able to work in such a beautiful part of the country and to have such a special connection with those who live here.

It hasn’t been an easy decision to leave my Look East and local radio family, but it feels like this is the right time to go

“I’m always so touched when people feel they can just come up and talk to me in the street or the supermarket, like I’m an old friend – that has always meant so much to me.”

Robert Thompson, BBC senior head of content production for the east, said: “Julie has been bringing sunshine to BBC Look East and to our BBC local radio stations across the region for the past 26 years.

“And even when the weather’s been rocky Julie has guided us all through it as a trusted friend. We will miss her brightening our airwaves and we wish her lots of luck for the future”

Reinger worked across both BBC local radio and on screen, describing the work as being immensely important to her.

Joining BBC Look East in 1999 doing lunch time and nightly forecasts, Reinger also presented weather bulletins for six BBC Local Radio stations in the region including BBC Essex, BBC Three Counties Radio and BBC Radio Norfolk.

The broadcaster also presented the weather on BBC Radio Suffolk, BBC Radio Cambridgeshire and BBC Radio Northampton.

She said: “There’s a lovely quote by AA Milne – ‘How lucky I am to have something, that makes saying goodbye so hard’.

“My time on Look East and local radio has been a very special something and I will miss my colleagues, and everyone watching and listening very much.”

Reinger’s final day on BBC Look East will air on Friday March 28 at 6.30pm.