BANK HELL DAY
Bank Holiday Monday chaos with drivers warned that 20MILLION are hitting the roads today for day trips
The roads could be a 'nightmare' today as the bank holiday draws to a close
BRITS face bank holiday Monday hell as some 20million drivers are expected to hit the roads today.
The RAC has warned of “day trip delays” as temperatures are due to reach a pleasant 24C and people get out and about to make the most of it.
5
5
5
An estimated six million day trip journeys will be made today, according to the motoring organisation.
While another 13million people will be heading home from weekend breaks today.
Motorists are urged to travel in the early morning or mid-evening in order to avoid the worst queues.
The worst traffic hotspots will form in the late morning and around lunchtime.
Read More on Motors
The worst affected areas are expected to include the M25 in the west and south of London, the M3 towards the south coast and the M5 in north Devon.
Meanwhile, peak congestion on routes such as the A23 from Brighton, the A303 eastbound at Stonehenge and the A31 from Dorset, is predicted in the mid-afternoon.
The RAC's Simon Williams told the Daily Telegraph: “It could be a Monday meltdown on the roads.
“More sunshine will mean a surge of day-trippers, the same day that many people come home from short breaks.
Most read in Motors
“It could be a nightmare day to travel.
Storm Lilian chaos with property damaged, flights cancelled & roads blocked after 80mph alert
“As soon as the sunshine comes out and temperatures shoot up, so will the traffic.
“Aim to finish your journey by 10am, or start after 7pm, if you want to avoid the worst jams.”
The Port of Dover is expected to be another traffic nightmare, with an estimated 20,000 cars due to travel through the Kent port, including inward and outward journeys across the weekend.
National Highways said it had lifted “more than 500 miles of roadworks to ease journeys” for motorists.
Rail passengers can also expect disruption, particularly on the East Coast Main Line between London and Scotland.
Services to and from King’s Cross have been “significantly amended, with replacement buses operating, and some services not running at all” from late Saturday night until early this morning, according to National Rail.
The West Coast Main Line has also been affected over the bank holiday weekend with London’s Euston station operating a “reduced and amended service” by the train companies.
National Rail added “longer distance journeys, and local travel plans, may also be affected by work taking place in the Stoke-on-Trent and Macclesfield area”.
The Met Office has said today will be dry and sunny with temperatures rising throughout the week but conditions would become more unsettled in some areas.
Temperatures will be generally warm, with highs of 23C expected in London, 20C in Plymouth and 17C in Glasgow, according to forecasters.
The “warming trend” will continue tomorrow and into Wednesday but some showery rain is expected to hit northern England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Today’s good weather coming in the afternoon is due to a “brief ridge of high pressure” moving in from the west.
Met Office meteorologist Greg Dewhurst said: “Most places will be dry and - in the sunshine with lighter winds - it will feel warmer as well, with temperatures higher for many.”
This evening though, wet and windy weather is due to spread across parts of Scotland, North West England and Northern Ireland with strong winds in the west.
Central England is the best place to be to get the most summer sun today.
London could see peaks of 25C on Tuesday with temperatures in the high teens expected further north where rain and strong winds is also likely.
Mr Dewhurst said: “It's a wet day ahead for parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland as this weather system just slowly pushes a little further south and eastwards, bringing rain into North West England as well as Wales and perhaps northern coasts of Devon and Cornwall as well.
“To the south-east of this, the southerly winds will draw in some quite warm air.”
READ MORE SUN STORIES
That band of showery weather is forecast to slowly move eastwards, bringing in drier conditions on Wednesday.
The Met Office said temperatures should be even warmer, with 28C possible in London, 24C in Cardiff, 20C in Edinburgh and 19C in Belfast.
5
5