The Bank Holiday weekend has kicked off with a wet and windy start as downpours are felt across the country with Britain facing cooler weather.
Plans for Bank Holiday getaways or barbecues could be in trouble ahead of cooler and wetter weather, travel disruption and soaring fuel prices.
The Met Office has warned wet and windy conditions could leave standing water on the roads on Sunday – and some areas could even see gusts of up to to 40mph. There is even some grass frost expected in Scotland.
The recent heatwave may feel like a distant memory as maximum temperatures are only expected to reach the high teens Celcuis (mid-60Fs) across much of the UK this weekend.
Yet revellers at the Leeds and Reading Festivals haven’t let the wet weather put them off from enjoying their experience.
Drivers set off on their Bank Holiday journeys early today amid warnings of hour-long delays with more than 14million cars set to hit the roads over the long weekend.
Revellers at the Leeds (pictured) and Reading Festivals haven’t let the wet weather put them off from enjoying their experience
The wind gets up and the showers start during the Yorkshire Ebor Festival, Coolmore Nunthorpe event at York Racecourse, York
Girls shelter from heavy rain in Liverpool city centre this afternoon. Rain and lower temperatures are expected over the August Bank Holiday weekend
Rain falls on those enjoying their Bank Holiday weekend during the Big Feastival at Alex James’ farm in Kingham, Oxfordshire
Festival goers face a rain shower during the Big Feastival at Alex James’ farm in Kingham, Oxfordshire
An umbrella seller doing a roaring trade in Liverpool city centre this afternoon as shoppers were shocked to find themselves caught up in the rain
Traffic begins to build on the M3 near Winchester in Hampshire today ahead of the bank holiday weekend
Commuters make their way through London Euston station today before it closes for three days due to engineering works
London Euston station, pictured today, will be closed – causing increased congestion on the roads and other rail lines
Temperatures dipped from yesterday as a cold front brings fresher air from the Atlantic.
Met Office meteorologist Simon Partridge said wet and windy weather could cause further trouble for those travelling over the last long weekend before the festive period.
‘In places we are quite likely to see some standing water on the roads which will add to the difficult driving conditions on Sunday,’ he said.
‘Some areas could see winds of between 30mph to 40mph, so a wet and windy day.’
Met Office deputy chief meteorologist Martin Young added: ‘The cooler conditions will continue through the weekend and for some it’ll certainly feel quite different to what we’ve been used to this summer.
‘The mornings especially will be quite chilly with temperatures locally in single figures and some of us in rural areas may even have a touch of frost overnight.’
Shoppers shelter from heavy rain in Liverpool city centre this afternoon (left) while festival goers try to find cover from the cooler weather in Leeds (right)
A spot of trouble: A woman’s umbrella blows out in the wind and heavy rain in Liverpool city centre this afternoon
As Leeds Festival began people were prepared with rain coats ready to face off the cooler weather this weekend
Blustery showers in the north and west will move south-east today, bringing a cool night for the UK, with some grass frost in Scotland tomorrow morning.
Sunny spells and scattered showers will follow for many, with temperatures expected to reach around 20C (68F).
The mercury is set to dip to a maximum of between 63F (17C) and 66F (19C) on Sunday as heavy rain moves across the whole of the UK from the west.
Monday, which is a Bank Holiday in all the home nations except Scotland, will see conditions improve, with bright and breezy weather as well as a few scattered showers.
Motoring group the RAC warned there was ‘huge potential for gridlock’ on motorways and major roads as families across Britain headed off.
One woman (pictured) gets increasingly covered in rain as she pushes a sheltered baby through the streets of London
This festival goer wasn’t going to let a little rain stop her in her tracks and carried on enjoying the Big Feastival at Alex James’ farm in Kingham, Oxfordshire
Analysis by traffic specialists Inrix shows drivers still face big tailbacks on many routes, and some of the worst delays will occur today as holiday traffic merges with the Friday morning and evening commuter rush.
Highways England will lift or complete more than 300 miles of roadworks – but this will still leave 129 miles of roadworks in place. And plans for getaways could be scuppered as the UK faces cooler and wetter weather.
A journey on the M5 from junction 4 to junction 1 this afternoon, which would normally take 21 minutes, is expected to take an hour and 21 minutes.
And drivers who brave the M20 in the South East are expected to make painstakingly slow progress between junctions 9 and 3 with a predicted journey time of one hour and six minutes, rather than the usual 22 minutes.
Tomorrow drivers are expected to take one hour and two minutes to get from Junction 22 to 25 on the M1 in the East Midlands. The journey would normally take 16 minutes.
The RAC said one of the worst traffic hotspots today will be on the Almondsbury interchange at Bristol, right near its offices, where the M5 and M4 meet, as tens of thousands of drivers head for Devon and Cornwall.
Storm clouds gather above heavy traffic on the M62 motorway near the Cheshire town of Warrington this morning
Sunrise beams a blush of colours over Bournemouth beach ahead of the Bank Holiday rush this morning
RAC traffic spokesman Rod Dennis said: ‘While the late August Bank Holiday is not typically one of the busiest on the roads… it still has huge potential to bring gridlock to major roads, especially if we were to see the sun make a welcome comeback.’
Inrix says drivers should set off between 10am and 1pm today to avoid commuter traffic.
Motorists’ frustrations with the congestion could be heightened by the knowledge that fuel prices stand at a four-year high.
Government figures show the average cost of a litre of petrol is £1.29, while diesel is £1.33.
Those hoping for a more stress- free journey by train will be disappointed.
Huge swathes of Britain’s rail network will be out of action or severely disrupted by planned engineering works and strike action.
An army of 9,600 Network Rail staff will work across the weekend on 400 engineering projects and upgrades.
The Government-owned company has advised anyone thinking of travelling on the West Coast Main Line to or from London not to travel because London Euston station will be closed.
Passengers travelling across the UK to or via Derby Station will be diverted, delayed or forced to take a bus replacement service as a 79-day programme of engineering works to upgrade the tracks and signalling continues.
Cross Country, East Midlands and Northern services will all be affected.
Network Rail route managing director Martin Frobisher said: ‘There is never an ideal time to shut the railway but these weekends are the least disruptive times to do it.’
Guards on Northern rail are staging a 24-hour strike tomorrow when more than 70 per cent of services will be cancelled.
Drivers face tailbacks as traffic builds up on the A14 near Cambridge this morning at the start of the Bank Holiday getaway
Roadworks on the A14 near Cambridge have not been lifted, causing delays and tailbacks for drivers this morning
Traffic begins to build on the M3 near Eastleigh in Hampshire today as drivers were warned to expect delays this weekend
| CORRIDOR | CORRIDOR DISTANCE IN MILES | PEAK CONGESTION PERIOD | TYPICAL TRAVEL TIME OUTSIDE GETAWAY | PREDICTED TRAVEL TIME FOR PEAK CONGESTION PERIOD | TOTAL PEAK CONGESTION PERIOD DELAY | AVERAGE SPEED (mph) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greater London | M25 J15 to J11 | 8.9 | Monday, 10.30am – 2.30pm | 15 min | 37 min | 22 min | 14.4 |
| South East England | M2 J3 to J7 | 17 | Monday, 10.30am – 3pm | 23 min | 1 hr & 16 min | 52 min | 13.5 |
| South West England | M5 J22 to 20 | 12.7 | Monday, 4.30pm – 9pm | 12 min | 32 min | 20 min | 25.4 |
| West Midlands | M5 J4 to J1 | 10.5 | Friday, 1pm – 6pm | 21 min | 1 hr & 21 min | 1 hr | 7.7 |
| North East England | A1 Newton on the Moor to Clifton (B1337) | 14.5 | Monday, 11.30am – 6.30pm | 19 min | 49 min | 30 min | 17.7 |
| North West England | M6 J28 to J32 | 9.8 | Monday, 10.30am – 2.30pm | 16 min | 42 min | 25 min | 14.1 |
| Yorkshire | A64 A19 to A169 | 19.9 | Monday, 9.30am – 2pm | 32 min | 1 hr & 17 min | 45 min | 15.4 |
| East Midlands | M1 J22 to J25 | 15.4 | Saturday, 2.30pm – 5pm | 16 min | 1 hr & 2 min | 46 min | 14.9 |
| East of England | A47 to Great Yarmouth | 47.4 | Monday, 4pm – 8.30pm | 58 min | 1 hr & 29 min | 31 min | 31.9 |
| Wales | M4 J29 to J24 | 8.8 | Friday, 10.30am – 5.30pm | 15 min | 28 min | 13 min | 19.1 |
| Scotland | M8 A725 to A779 | 14.8 | Sunday, 11.30am – 5.30pm | 13 min | 39 min | 25 min | 23 |
| Northern Ireland | A6 Eden River to Dungiven | 6.4 | Saturday, 1.30pm – 7pm | 10 min | 35 min | 25 min | 11.1 |
| PLANNED LEISURE TRIPS BY CAR | WORST TIMES TO TRAVEL | BEST TIMES TO TRAVEL | WORST ROAD FOR LONG DELAYS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Friday | 3.6million | 2pm to 7.30pm | 10am to 1pm | M5 J4 to J1, 1pm – 6pm |
| Saturday | 3.6million | 11am to 3pm | 5m to 7pm | M1 J22 to J25, 2.30pm – 5pm |
| Sunday | 1.6million | 4.30pm to 7pm | 9am to 11am | M8 A725 to A779, 11.30am to 5.30pm |
| Monday | 2.4million | 10am to 3.30pm | 5pm to 7pm | M2 J3 to J7, 10.30am – 3pm |
| REGION | AFFECTED ROAD | PEAK TRAFFIC EXPECTED | TYPICAL TRAVEL TIME | PREDICTED TRAVEL TIME |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Midlands | M5 J4 to J1 | 1pm – 6pm | 21 min | 1 hr 21 min |
| South East | M20 J9 to J3 | 7.30am – 9.30am | 22 min | 1 hr 6 min |
| North West | M6 J28 to J32 | 12pm – 3pm | 14 min | 39 min |
| North East | A1 A197 to Old Felton | 11am – 5pm | 13 min | 28 min |
| Wales | M4 J29 to J24 | 10.30am – 5.30pm | 15 min | 28 min |
| REGION | AFFECTED ROAD | PEAK TRAFFIC EXPECTED | TYPICAL TRAVEL TIME | PREDICTED TRAVEL TIME |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Midlands | M1 J22 to J25 | 2.30pm – 5pm | 16 min | 1 hr 2 min |
| Northern Ireland | A6 Eden River to Dungiven | 1.30pm – 7pm | 10 min | 35 min |
| West Midlands | M5 J4 to J1 | 12pm – 3pm | 13 min | 37 min |
| South West | M5 J22 to J20 | 2pm – 4.30pm | 10 min | 21 min |
| South West | A303 A338 to A36 | 9am – 2pm | 19 min | 36 min |
‘DO NOT TRAVEL’: Rail bosses tell passengers to replan their journeys as London Euston faces shutdown
Rail travellers thinking of using the West Coast main line this Bank Holiday weekend have been told – in no uncertain terms – to think again.
The shutters will be put down on London Euston station on Saturday as a huge programme of engineering works puts large swathes of the rail network out of action.
Yesterday Network Rail instructed Virgin West Coast passengers wanting to travel to or from the capital this weekend to pick a different date if at all possible.
The deserted concourse at Euston station in London, pictured last Saturday – the first of three consecutive weekends when it will be shut
The busy line runs from London to Glasgow and stops at Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham.
Euston will shut from Saturday to the Bank Holiday Monday while the North Wembley junction is replaced. It will then shut again the following weekend.
In a blunt message to passengers, Martin Frobisher, route managing director of Network Rail’s London North Western route said: ‘Our message to West Coast train customers this August Bank Holiday and on 1-2 September is: ‘DO NOT TRAVEL’ (sic). Instead please plan your journey on other days.’
He added: ‘If you absolutely cannot avoid travel on these dates, expect a very different journey to what you’re use to – busier trains, less chance of a seat, diverted routes taking far longer than usual’.
The entrance to Euston station in London, pictured last Saturday, which is closed for three consecutive weekends until September 2
This is one of the more extreme examples of the disruption taking place across Britain’s rail network across the country over the Bank Holiday weekend, when around 400 engineering works will take place.
Public holidays are viewed as the least disruptive time to carry out vital upgrades and repairs to the railways.
But the timing these works are perennial source of frustration for members of the public who rely on trains for their Bank Holiday getaway.
They will also have to contend with another wave of strikes over the weekend on Northern rail and on South Western. The disruption will force more people to take to the roads.