Forecasts of record May temperatures are expected to trigger a bumper bank holiday getaway, with up to 23 million car journeys predicted from Friday onwards. Routes to the coast and tourist hotspots are likely to be super busy as many families head away for the half-term school break, while airports are also braced for a dash abroad.
Weather Forecast
After a decidedly chilly May, temperatures could soar to more than 30°C in some areas, with parts of the UK basking in a potential heatwave. Greg Wolverson, Met Office deputy chief forecaster, said: “High pressure will be in charge of the UK’s weather over the bank holiday weekend and this should bring fine and settled conditions to most areas.” Any temperature above 29.4°C will be the highest May temperature recorded in the UK since 2012, whilst the all-time record for the month stands at 32.8°C.
Road Travel
Motoring group the AA is forecasting Friday will be the busiest day, with around 23.4 million journeys taken, then 22.8 million on Saturday, and 22.4 million on both Sunday and bank holiday Monday. Most journeys are expected to be local, with around half of those in a poll by the AA planning trips of up to 50 miles each day. Shopping is the most common reason for travelling, cited by 40% of drivers, closely followed by visiting family or friends at 39%. Almost a quarter are planning DIY or garden centre trips (23%), while 22% expect to travel for work.
Separate research by the RAC found 28% of drivers are increasingly worried about the cost of fuel. Its own data shows the average price of petrol across the UK is 158.52p – the highest price since December 2022, and diesel is 185.92p. It means it costs £87 to fill up a family car with unleaded, £14 more than this time last year, and over £102 for diesel, which is £26 more than last year.
Lee Morley, AA expert patrol, said: “A warm bank holiday weekend is exactly the kind of forecast that gets people thinking about a last-minute getaway, a day at the coast or a trip to see friends and family. When good weather arrives after an unsettled spell, people are often more willing to make spontaneous plans, so drivers should expect popular routes to get busy quickly. Sunday could bring another pressure point, with the final round of Premier League matches likely to add traffic around stadiums, city centres and major routes.”
Likely hotspots include routes towards the South West and Cornwall, including the A303, M5 and A38, the M4 from London and towards Wales, the M6 towards Blackpool and the North West coast, as well as other roads serving popular seaside towns, national parks, ports and airports.
Rail Travel
When it comes to the trains, Network Rail insisted the “vast majority” of routes would be open. However, planned engineering works will impact journeys for many passengers – including Middlesbrough fans planning last-minute journeys to London for the Championship play-off final against Hull City at Wembley. Supporters were thrown into chaos after Southampton were expelled from the play-offs over the ‘spygate’ scandal.
Planned engineering works mean there are no trains between York and Northallerton from Saturday to Monday, with a limited train service from Northallerton to Darlington. Elsewhere, the Transpennine route will also be impacted, including a rail replacement service between Manchester Piccadilly and Huddersfield over the whole weekend, and between Huddersfield and Leeds, Dewsbury and Wakefield Kirkgate on Sunday. Buses will replace trains on the Great Western main line between Newport and Bristol Parkway, while one train an hour will operate between south Wales and London via Gloucester from Saturday right through to Monday June 8. Passengers using part of the Thameslink line in London and South Western Railway between Havant, Fareham and Portsmouth Harbour will also be disrupted.
Anit Chandarana, from Network Rail, said: “Bank holidays are still among the least busy times for us in terms of passengers, so it makes sense to plan these major improvements for those days. I know it can be frustrating to have to check before you travel, but this investment is about making everyday journeys better – improving reliability, reducing future disruption and helping the railway work better for passengers.”
Air Travel
London Stansted Airport expects more than one million passengers between now and next Sunday, including 400,000 over the bank holiday. Manchester Airport is gearing up for 1.2m passengers over the half-term week, and East Midlands Airport 167,000. Popular half-term break destinations include Spain, Italy, the Balearic and Canary Islands, Portugal, Croatia and Greece.
Those travelling to Europe risk delays at passport control because of new fingerprinting and facial scanning checks. The rollout of the Entry-Exit System (EES) has led to big issues at some European airports, with fears they could worsen over the summer holiday period. “It is unacceptable for customers,” easyJet boss Kenton Jarvis told the Mirror. “It is really inexcusable.” He urged EU customers to take the lead of Greece, which has effectively suspended biometric checks at its borders for British citizens in order to prevent major disruptions over the summer. While suggesting other authorities at least suspend the new checks at busy times, he also urged passengers to “arrive in plenty of time.”
