Summer holidays: Great getaway chaos begins as families heading on breaks face traffic jams and travel delays
Families heading off on summer holidays[1] have already been hit with traffic jams and delays amid warnings that road congestion will only build up over the weekend.
Some 12 million car journeys will be made across the UK this weekend, with travellers warned of a perfect storm of rail strikes, wet weather and an increase in Britons choosing last-minute staycations as the school holidays begin.
Almost a month’s worth of rain is expected to fall in parts of the UK over 48 hours starting on Friday night into Saturday. West Wales, the south-west of England, northern England, southern Scotland and parts of Northern Ireland are expected to be worst hit by persistent, heavy rain, forecasters said.
Rail strikes could also push more people onto the roads with thousands of members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) strike again on Saturday, while knock-on delays caused chaos for travellers on Friday morning.
Congestion built up on motorways in Kent and Cheshire while airports welcomed hundreds of thousands of passengers with queues reported at Gatwick and Bristol airports. Some two million passengers are expected to fly abroad this weekend.
National Highways closed part of the Dartford Crossing on Friday morning after a car crash, causing major tailbacks. The site is where the M25 – the UK’s busiest motorway – crosses the River Thames east of London between Dartford and Thurrock.
The collision forced the closure of one of the crossing’s two tunnels, which are used for northbound traffic, shortly before 7am. It was later reopened but National Highways said the incident caused five miles of congestion, with traffic stretching back to Swanley in Kent.
The Port of Dover[2] had advised passengers it was taking around 90 minutes for departing passengers to clear border checks on Friday morning.
This waiting time continued to be revised throughout the morning but travellers complained of waiting “hours” in queues.
“Traffic remains moving smoothly through the Port,” Dover officials said. “Our friendly team of passenger champions is on hand to help in the buffer zone if you require any assistance.”
Passengers sharing photos of queues on social media said lines for freight were longer than queues for families heading towards Dover as Kent Council implemented Operation Brock at the start of the school holiday season.
Enhanced passport checks[3] by French border officials, Police Aux Frontieres, introduced since Brexit, have significantly increased processing times[4] at the Kent port.
The AA said the motorists may see traffic build up in the Dover area and other major roads across the weekend.
Jack Cousens, head of roads policy for the AA, said: “The opening weekend of the school summer holidays tends to be the busiest one, and this year is no exception. This weekend, we could expect traffic to build around Dover, as well as the M5 heading towards the south west, the M1 and the M6 around Birmingham.”
On Saturday, rail passengers will be disrupted by strikes on as members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT), including station staff and train managers, strike again in a long-running dispute over pay, jobs and conditions.
Mr Cousens said the travel[5] chaos on the rail network will mean many travellers will turn to their cars to get around.
He said: “With more than 13.5m staycations taking place this summer, and with disruption still being felt on the railways, many will jump in their cars to discover the wonders of Britain.”
An estimated 12.6 million car journeys will be made for a day trip or holiday between Friday and Monday as the majority of schools in England and Wales finish for the summer, the RAC said.
The AA has advised motorists to spend 10 minutes before setting off to check their tyres, oil levels and screen wash, and ensure they set off with enough fuel or charge to complete their journey and prevent avoidable breakdowns.
Transport analysis company Inrix said traffic hotspots will include the M5 south from near Bristol (junction 15) to Bridgwater (junction 23), which is a popular route for holidaymakers travelling to the South West.
Another is the M25 clockwise between junction 10 for the A3 to Kingston and junction 6 for the A22 to East Grinstead.
Over two million UK holidaymakers are also expected to fly abroad this weekend. At least 11,839 flights will depart the UK between Friday and Monday, according to data from aviation analysts Cirium.
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Spain remains the top destination for families, in particular the Costa del Sol and the Balearic and Canary Islands, but Abta said its members are also reporting strong demand for Bulgaria, Portugal, Turkey, Morocco and Greece.
Some of those heading overseas will swap wet weather in the UK for warmer climes. Downpours and thunderstorms are forecasted for Saturday and Sunday.
Met Office meteorologist Aidan McGivern said: “If you do have outdoor plans it’s worth at least factoring in some unseasonal weather for the middle of July.”
The Met Office said rain will be heavy and persistent in places on Saturday, especially over high ground in the west.
Elsewhere in Europe, much of the continent will see temperatures in the high 30s and low 40s as the extreme heat continues.
Italy put 23 cities on red alert on Wednesday due to the intense heatwave after Rome hit 43ºC on Tuesday, a new high, while Sicily and Sardinia reached 46ºC.
Similar heat warnings were issued in Spain[6], where parts of the country experienced temperatures as high as 45ºC on Wednesday, Croatia, Serbia, southern Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro.
Mark Tanzer, Abta chief executive, said: “We’re encouraging people to have a fun and safe holiday by taking sensible precautions if you’re heading to an area with exceptionally high temperatures and taking particular care when in the water and on balconies.”
References
- ^ summer holidays (inews.co.uk)
- ^ Dover (inews.co.uk)
- ^ Enhanced passport checks (inews.co.uk)
- ^ significantly increased processing times (inews.co.uk)
- ^ travel (inews.co.uk)
- ^ Similar heat warnings were issued in Spain (inews.co.uk)