Latest travel updates on roads and rails for early May bank holiday weekend

• RAC estimates 17.2m car leisure trips will be taken between today and Monday
• This is expected to be the busiest early May bank holiday weekend since 2016

The bank holiday getaway has begun with 2.3million drivers expected to hit the roads today alone as Britons try to make the most of improving weather.

The RAC estimates 17.2million leisure trips will be taken by car between today and Monday, making it the busiest early May bank holiday weekend since 2016.

Congestion is expected to peak this afternoon when drivers embarking on getaway journeys compete for road space with commuters. Tomorrow will see a peak of 2.7million leisure journeys but it will be less busy because it is not a working day.

Drivers going on leisure trips today were advised to set off before 11am – or wait until the evening – to have a better chance of missing the worst of the jams.

Transport data company Inrix is warning of the potential for long delays on the M5 southbound between Junction 15 for Bristol and Junction 23 for Taunton, as well as the M6 northbound from Junction 18 for Chester to Junction 24 for Liverpool.

The AA has also identified a series of likely traffic hotspots over the three-day break, including the M4/M5 interchange in Bristol, the M5/M6 interchange in Birmingham, the M62 in Leeds, the M4 near Newport and the A720 in Edinburgh. 

Airports could also be hit by a walkout by Border Force officials who are among more than 130,000 civil service members of the PCS union who voted to strike today. 

Temperatures are set to reach 21C (70F) in southern England over the coming few days with plenty of sunshine forecast – although some showers are predicted in the West tomorrow, all areas on Sunday and in the East on Bank Holiday Monday. 

Pressure on the roads will be increased due to disruption to train services caused by Network Rail carrying out more than 600 engineering projects. London Euston will be closed on Sunday, adding several hours to many long-distance journeys.

Hotter than Rome! Britons prepare for rising temperatures but could also face rain 

By RICHARD MARSDEN

Rising temperatures are set to make parts of the South of England as warm as Rome this bank holiday weekend as heavy showers could cause ‘miserable’ conditions.

Temperatures are set to reach 21C (70F) in the central southern area, above those in the south of France and on a par with the Italian capital.

But showers – some of which could be heavy including hail and the ‘very limited’ possibility of thunder – are predicted in the West tomorrow, across all areas on Sunday and in the East on Bank Holiday Monday.

The worst of the showers could bring 25mm (1in) to 30mm (1.2in) of rain, the Met Office said. Its spokesman Grahame Madge said: ‘It could be quite miserable if you are stuck under one of those showers.’

The warm but wet conditions – which could also include coastal mist or fog – are being drawn in by a mild, moist airflow from the Atlantic.

Mr Madge said: ‘Between the showers, there are likely to be breaks in the cloud and there should be some nice weather for people to enjoy the bank holiday weekend.

‘The warmest places are likely to be in central southern England, inland and west of London, in places such as Reading or Basingstoke, which could reach 20, 21C (68-70F).

‘Further north, 17C (63F) is possible in somewhere like Manchester but, in contrast, the very cold weather we have seen recently is still likely to hang around in the far north of Scotland. In Shetland, temperatures will be around 7C (45F).’

Mr Madge said the showers will be ‘brought in on the moist air’ with some uncertainty about exactly where they will occur.

‘On Saturday, showers are most likely to break out in western areas, while pretty much the whole of the UK will be subject to showers on Sunday, then on Monday showers are forecast more towards the east,’ Mr Madge said.

‘On Sunday, in particular, some of the showers could be heavy with 25-30mm of rain possible. It could be quite miserable if you are stuck under one of those showers.’

Mr Madge said today’s weather is likely to be mostly fine and dry thanks to a ridge of high pressure, with maximum temperatures of 19 (66F) to 20C (68F) in the South.

There will be ‘bright spells’ and it is set to ‘feel pleasant in the sunshine’, the Met Office predicts.

The long-range forecast for next week and through the Coronation weekend predicts mostly settled conditions with ‘plenty of warm, dry weather’.

But ‘remnants’ of weather systems could bring showery rain at times.

‘Some of these showers could be heavy and thundery’, the Met Office added.

The disruption at one of the UK’s busiest stations will be caused by work to make overhead electric wires more resilient against hot weather.

Network Rail said no London North Western Railway services will run to or from Euston tomorrow, while it will be closed to all mainline operators the following day.

The work on Sunday will cause chaos to journeys for thousands of Avanti West Coast passengers who planned to travel between London and destinations in the West Midlands, North West England and Scotland.

In hot weather, older overhead lines that provide power to trains can expand and sag, often resulting in delays.

Network Rail said its improvement work on the West Coast Main Line over the bank holiday weekend includes ‘overhead line work to prepare for hot weather’ at Euston and Kings Langley in Hertfordshire.

They are among more than 600 projects across Britain that will take place.

Major impacts include c2c services to and from Liverpool Street being diverted to Fenchurch Street on Sunday, disruption to South Western Railway and CrossCountry services tomorrow and on Sunday, and no ScotRail services between Glasgow and Edinburgh via Carstairs tomorrow and on Sunday.

Jake Kelly, Network Rail’s system operator director, said: ‘The majority of the rail network will be open as usual for passengers travelling over the bank holiday weekend, but we do have some vital upgrade work taking place to improve journeys in some areas, so please check before you travel, either with your train operator or using National Rail Enquiries.

‘There’s never a good time to impact rail services, but with fewer passengers typically travelling over the bank holidays, we have the opportunity to complete vital work to provide better and more reliable journeys whilst minimising disruption for our passengers and freight users.’

Meanwhile there were already problems on the trains this morning, with a fault with the signalling system between London Paddington and Southall causing disruption to Great Western Railway, Elizabeth line and Heathrow Express services.

In South Wales, a points failure between Ninian Park and Coryton meant all lines were blocked; while services running between Birmingham New Street and Leicester were disrupted after a train broke down between Nuneaton and Hinckley.

Road congestion this weekend is expected to be worse than for the coronation weekend, when 14.6million leisure trips are expected to be made.

The reduction in journeys is believed to be due to millions of people staying at home to watch the royal events on television.

RAC Breakdown spokesman Rod Dennis said: ‘The weather might still be unseasonably chilly but this won’t stop drivers getting out and about over the double bank holiday weekends to make the most of some extra days off.

‘While we’d expect more short breaks and day trips to the coast this coming weekend, when it comes to the coronation it’s likely major routes are less likely to be congested. 

‘The big variable, as always, is what happens with the Great British weather.

‘If temperatures finally increase and the sun makes more of an appearance, we could well see many more people jumping in the car for a quick trip.

‘In order to avoid any disappointment caused from cars letting their everyone on board down, we urge drivers to check tyres, oil and coolant levels as matters of priority before they hit the road.’

Surge in pothole-related breakdowns due to ‘scandalous’ state of roads

Drivers are suffering from a surge in pothole-related breakdowns, new figures suggest.

The RAC said it responded to 10,076 call-outs for faults most likely caused by poor road surfaces during the first three months of the year. That is a 39 per cent increase on the same period in 2022.

Common problems caused by potholes include damaged shock absorbers, broken suspension springs and distorted wheels.

RAC roads spokesman Simon Williams described the state of roads as ‘nothing short of scandalous’.

He said: ‘Drivers are telling us that the UK’s local roads are in a worse state than ever and it’s hard to disagree looking at some of the craters that litter so many of our carriageways.’

The cost of bringing pothole-plagued local roads in England and Wales up to scratch is estimated at £12.6billion.

A Department for Transport spokeswoman said: ‘We’re investing more than £5 billion from 2020 to 2025 to maintain local roads, with an extra £200 million announced at the Budget, which will help fix millions of potholes a year, making journeys smoother and safer for everyone.’

Inrix transportation analyst Bob Pishue said: ‘Travel times will likely peak on Friday afternoon with some areas seeing double the travel times as holiday travellers mix with commuters, but drivers should be prepared for added congestion throughout the holiday weekend.’

It comes as the AA issued a warning to drivers to avoid falling asleep at the wheel.

Its analysis of latest Government figures shows one in 33 casualties on roads in South west England – which includes many popular holiday destinations – were victims of crashes in which fatigue was a contributory factor in 2021.

Statistics also show drivers are three times more likely to drift off and cause collisions on motorways than on other roads.

The AA urged motorists to build regular rest stops into journeys during what is expected to be a busy bank holiday on the roads.

It commissioned a survey of more than 13,000 UK adults which suggested 12million trips by road are planned for May Day alone.

Nick Powell, AA Patrol of the Year, said: ‘If you plan to travel long distances, it’s better to set off early when you’re more likely to be refreshed after a good night’s sleep and traffic is at its lightest.

‘If you do feel tired, take a break at the next safe location, and have a coffee or caffeine drink, a short cat nap and a walk.’

Edmund King, AA Charitable Trust director, said: ‘A quarter of fatal crashes are sleep-related, so drowsiness is one of the most underestimated risks on the roads.

‘Crashes involving a drowsy driver tend to be catastrophic. If a driver has fallen asleep at the wheel they do not brake before an impact and make no attempt to steer away from a collision.’

The AA survey was conducted by research company Yonder between April 5 and 19.