Nearly 19 million drivers are expected to hit UK roads this bank holiday weekend, with the heaviest traffic predicted on Friday and Saturday, according to the RAC. The figure is one million more than the same period last year, as temperatures are forecast to exceed 30°C in some areas by Monday.
Coastal routes are expected to be among the busiest, with long queues towards seaside resorts and the Port of Dover, where delays due to the EU's entry-exit system (EES) are compounding congestion. The AA warned of jams heading to resorts on the east and north-west coasts of England, as well as the south-east and Cornwall, including the A303, M5 and A38.
At the Port of Dover, around 18,000 travellers are due between Friday and Sunday, with departures peaking on Saturday morning. The EES software for French borders is not yet fully operational, leading to manual checks and hour-long processing waits reported by 6am on Friday. Meanwhile, up to two million people are expected to fly abroad, with Palma de Mallorca the top destination after Dublin.
Rail passengers face some disruption due to £64 million worth of engineering works, including rail replacement buses on parts of the east coast mainline and Great Western mainline. Strikes by TSSA union members at West Midlands and London North Western railways will also reduce timetables on Friday and Saturday.
