Getty ImagesMillions of people in the UK face travel disruption this bank holiday weekend, contending with busy roads, a rail strike and engineering works.
There is likely to be significant disruption on the rail network on CrossCountry routes from Aberdeen to Cornwall because of a strike by the RMT union over pay, safety and staffing.
The RAC has also warned roads will be busy on Friday, with three million getaway journeys planned, and particularly heavy traffic on the M5 between Bristol and Devon.
The weather is looking to be mostly dry across the three-day weekend, with large crowds expected at festivals being held across the country.
Crowds are expected at events including London’s Notting Hill Carnival, the Reading and Leeds festivals, the Emerge festival in Belfast, the Edinburgh Fringe closing weekend, the Creamfields festival in Cheshire and the Women’s Rugby World Cup openers.
Monday is a bank holiday in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, making this the last long weekend before Christmas for those regions.
Will there be rail delays?
Network Rail has advised all passengers to check their journeys before travelling due to strikes and rail works.
There will be no CrossCountry services on Saturday, meaning there will be no direct trains connecting Birmingham to Leicester, Derby or Nottingham.
On Sunday, although industrial action is not taking place, alterations and cancellations are to be expected.
On Monday, there will be a strike, but there will be limited services on all Cross Country lines between 08:00 BST and 18:00.
Trains between Birmingham, Reading and the South Coast will not run, as well as services between Leicester, Cambridge and Stansted airport.
There will only be a very limited service to the south west and north of York.
Meanwhile, on the East Coast Main Line, LNER will have no direct trains to London King’s Cross on Sunday, with engineering projects taking place on other routes too, including bus replacement between Newcastle and Edinburgh.
In the West Midlands, buses will replace trains on some routes from Birmingham New Street due to planned engineering works.
How will traffic be?
Some 17.6 million holiday trips are expected to be made by car across the UK between Friday and the bank holiday on Monday, the RAC said.
It says the busiest times to drive will be between 10:00 and 19:00 on Friday, 09:00 and 17:00 on Saturday and 11:00 and 18:00 on Monday.
Transport analytics firm Inrix says the M5 between Bristol and Devon will probably bear the brunt of traffic, with the stretch from J15 north of Bristol to J23 for Bridgwater likely to see some of the worst delays.
The M20 in Kent could also suffer afternoon hold-ups on Friday, from J7 near Maidstone to J3 westbound and J1 at Swanley to J5 at Aylesford eastbound.
“We’re expecting major roads to airports and coastal destinations to be extremely busy, especially the south-east and south-west regions which could end up bearing the brunt of most holiday hold-ups,” Nick Mullender, the RAC’s mobile servicing and repairs team leader, said.
“Anyone planning routes through these areas should set off as early as possible or be prepared to spend longer in traffic.”
What will the weather be like?
Saturday will be dry but rather cloudy for many, although with a few sunny spells.
The north of Scotland and the far south-west will see the best of the sunshine.
Northern Ireland and Wales will see a few showers develop, and later Northern Ireland and the Hebrides will see some patchy rain arrive from the west with light winds.
Sunday will be warmer, with sunny spells and patchy cloud cover. Most parts will be dry, but a little rain will cross the north and west of Scotland.
Bank Holiday Monday will be warmer still, even very warm for parts of England and Wales with highs of 27C.
There will be a good deal of sunshine for most, but the south-easterly winds will strengthen in the far west with the chance of some showery rain across Northern Ireland later.
Will shops be open?
Major supermarkets will remain open during the bank holiday weekend, so there’s no need to rush off for a big shop to get you through.
There will be reduced hours, particularly on Sunday, so it’s best to check the opening times of your local as hours will vary shop-to-shop.
Businesses that will close on the Monday bank holiday include (you guessed it) banks, post offices and some other government services.
Benefit payments are due to be paid out on Friday ahead of the bank holiday weekend.
