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Britain braces for rain over bank holiday weekend Britain braces for rain over bank holiday weekend
(about 1 hour later)
Millions of Britons planning a bank holiday getaway should expect a “messy” weekend of weather, forecasters have warned, as rain and thunderstorms hit parts of the UK. Revellers heading to Notting Hill carnival in London and Reading festival should pack their waterproofs as forecasters are predicting a mixture of sunshine and showers for many parts of the country over the bank holiday weekend.
More than 13 million drivers are expected to take to the roads over the long weekend, with congestion set to be worst on Friday evening, according to the AA. As more than 13 million drivers are expected to take to the roads over the long weekend, it will be the north and west of the UK that can expect the heaviest and most frequent showers. Saturday and Monday should be mostly dry, but Sunday is likely to be a miserable washout.
Forecasters said most of the UK should prepare for showers, with thunderstorms predicted in the south-east on Saturday night. A large band of rain is forecast across large parts of England on Sunday, before the weather improves on Monday. “Sunday is a bit of a messy one. There’s a band of rain starting from Cornwall up to Lincolnshire. Anywhere through the Midlands would have a miserable day with plenty of rain,” said Helen Rossington, forecaster at MeteoGroup. “The south-east corner will have a fair amount of cloud around, while the north of England will see sunshine and showers. Temperatures will be average for this time of year, reaching around 23C in London and in the high teens in most places.”
Helen Rossington, forecaster at MeteoGroup, said: “We’re definitely not on for a heatwave. On Saturday, there will be showers in the north, and the south is also at risk of rain. There is risk of thunderstorms overnight into Sunday across Kent and Essex. Besides rain, those seeking to get away for the last long weekend before the Christmas holiday will have to brace for serious disruption to the rail network due to planned engineering work and strike action.
“Sunday is a bit of a messy one. There’s a band of rain starting from Cornwall up to Lincolnshire. Anywhere through the Midlands would have a miserable day with plenty of rain. Improvement work is taking place on the west coast mainline that will affect services from a number of key locations, including Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Glasgow. Many passengers will face multiple changes, replacement buses and extended journey times.
“The south-east corner will have a fair amount of cloud around, while the north of England will see sunshine and showers. Temperatures will be average for this time of year, reaching around 23C in London and in the high teens in most places. Revellers heading to Reading festival will have to contend with strike action from Saturday to Monday by members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union, which will mean reduced services for First Great Western passengers travelling towards the south-west. Planned works by Southern mean trains will be disrupted from the south coast and Surrey into London from Saturday to Monday.
“Monday is looking a better day for most of England and Wales. It will be largely dry with sunny spells. There’ll be showers across Scotland and the north of England.” A poll of more than 12,000 AA members found that 39% are likely to be on the road either for a day trip or overnight stay, with the average trip about 90 miles. This equates to the equivalent of more than 13 million drivers on leisure journeys this weekend, the AA said, with bottlenecks expected on Friday evening and Monday afternoon.
Revellers attending Notting Hill carnival in London and Reading festival have been warned to expect showers, and rain is also expected to at Leeds festival over the weekend.
A poll of more than 12,000 AA members found that 39% are likely to be on the road either for a day trip or overnight stay, with the average trip about 90 miles. This equates to the equivalent of more than 13 million drivers on leisure journeys this weekend, the AA said.
Max Holdstock, of the AA, said: “August is a full-on bank holiday weekend, so it’s always a bit of a mad scramble on the roads. The busiest times will be Friday evening and Monday afternoon, so try to allow extra time if you’re travelling then. Routes to the south-west and the coast are usually among the busiest and there will be localised congestion around events, particularly at finish time.”Max Holdstock, of the AA, said: “August is a full-on bank holiday weekend, so it’s always a bit of a mad scramble on the roads. The busiest times will be Friday evening and Monday afternoon, so try to allow extra time if you’re travelling then. Routes to the south-west and the coast are usually among the busiest and there will be localised congestion around events, particularly at finish time.”
A survey by Which? suggested one in five Britons would be travelling, nearly two-thirds by car, 17% by plane and 15% by train. Almost half, or 46%, of those travelling said they expected delays, and three-quarters planned to leave earlier, travel at quieter times or break up their journey with an overnight stop. The RAC believes that cheap petrol and diesel prices are encouraging more people to plan a road trip and perhaps drive further afield than they would otherwise.
A survey by Which? suggested one in five Britons would be travelling – nearly two-thirds by car, 17% by plane and 15% by train. Almost half, or 46%, of those travelling said they expected delays, and three-quarters planned to leave earlier, travel at quieter times or break up their journey with an overnight stop.
August was the worst month for flight delays, the consumer rights group said, with 3.7 million passengers on 38,000 flights delayed by at least 15 minutes over the period last year. Seven hundred and ninety flights had delays of more than three hours.August was the worst month for flight delays, the consumer rights group said, with 3.7 million passengers on 38,000 flights delayed by at least 15 minutes over the period last year. Seven hundred and ninety flights had delays of more than three hours.
The Which? executive director, Richard Lloyd, said: “Some delays are unavoidable, but if you’ve bought a ticket for an airline, bus or train journey then you could be entitled to compensation.”The Which? executive director, Richard Lloyd, said: “Some delays are unavoidable, but if you’ve bought a ticket for an airline, bus or train journey then you could be entitled to compensation.”
The bank holiday getaway is also set to be hit by serious disruption to the rail network due to planned engineering work and strike action. Improvement work is taking place on the west coast mainline which will affect services from a number of key locations, including Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Glasgow. Many passengers will face multiple changes, replacement buses and extended journey times. The Met Office said as the jet stream slowly clears east, better weather should come in from the west and the UK will see more in the way of drier and sunnier conditions by the middle of next week as high pressure builds.
Revellers attending Reading festival are set to be hit by strike action from Saturday to Monday by members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union as First Great Western runs reduced services. Jason Kelly, the Met’s deputy meteorologist, said: “Although the high pressure will bring some more settled conditions and sunshine by the middle of next week this will be accompanied by winds from the north, which means temperatures are likely to be a bit cooler than average, particularly at night, with chilly evenings and local overnight frosts possible.”
Planned works by Southern mean trains will be disrupted from the south coast and Surrey into London from Saturday to Monday. On Sunday, buses will replace trains between Bicester North and Banbury, significantly increasing journey times between the Midlands and Oxfordshire and London.
The RAC said there was normally a spike in engine problems and punctures over the August bank holiday period. A spokesman said: “Punctures are also a common reason for callouts over the August bank holiday weekend as a number of cars no longer come with a spare. To ensure nothing puts the brakes on your getaway, check your tyre pressures and tread before you set off.”