MOTORISTS have been warned of the worst time to drive this May bank holiday.
As more than 17million Brits are expected to hit the road for the long weekend it’s important to know the best routes.
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RAC experts estimate the busiest day will be Friday, with as many as three million journeys expected.
Saturday could see 2.9million, and 2.8million are predicted on the Monday.
Meanwhile the least amount of travel is due on Sunday with just 2.4million trips.
The volume of traffic has increased from last year, with around one million more drivers expected behind the wheel.
Motorists have been warned by transport analytics specialists INRIX, that roads will be most congested on Friday.
The worst of the jams are likely later in the afternoon and into Friday evening.
The M25 clockwise from the South Mimms interchange to Essex could be hit by delays of 40 minutes from 4pm.
Elsewhere, the M5 southbound is expected to see similar queues from 7pm between the J15 Almondsbury interchange at Bristol and J23 for Bridgwater.
Drivers have been advised to start their journeys before 10am on Friday.
On Saturday through to Monday expects recon setting off before 11am or after 3pm is most efficient.
RAC Breakdown spokesperson Alice Simpson said: “Although the Easter break was just two weeks ago, our figures suggest this weekend will still be hectic on the roads as millions take advantage of another bank holiday.
“This week’s very warm weather may not last right into the weekend, but with lots of daylight hours there’s still plenty of opportunity to get out and about.
“For drivers that have a choice, it’s best to avoid Friday evening as that’s when leisure traffic will clash with commuter journeys.
“Careful preparation is crucial to reduce the chance of a breakdown. It takes just minutes to check that a vehicle’s oil, coolant and screenwash are all at the right levels before your trip, and it’s equally important to ensure all tyres are damage-free, have plenty of tread and are inflated properly.
“Anyone towing a caravan or trailer should check over these tyres as well.
“If you face a flat battery or a problem with your brakes on your staycation, there’s no need to waste precious minutes of your holiday looking for a local garage.
“An RAC Mobile Mechanic can be booked to repair your vehicle on the driveway of your accommodation, completing any fixes you might need and any diagnostic checks.”
Drivers have also been warned they face three major motorway closures across the bank holiday.
Overnight closures are expected on the M25, M3 and M4 this week.
The list is as follows:
Friday closures from 11pm until 6am
- M25 Anti-clockwise Jct 16 to M40 southbound link road closures
- M25 Clockwise Jct 16 to M40 Southbound link road closure
- M25 Clockwise Jct 14 to Jct 15 Carriageway closure (*closed until 5am the following day)
- M25 anti clockwise Jct 21A to Jct 21 carraigeway closure
- M25 anti clockwise Jct 21A entry slip road closure
- M25 anti clockwise link road closure to M1 northbound
- M25 Anti-Clockwise Jct 25 to Jct 23 carriageway closure
- M25 Clockwise Jct 5 exit slip road closures
- M25 Clockwise Jct 19 Exit Slip Road closure
- M25 Anti-Clockwise Jct 9 entry Slip road closure
- M25 anticlockwise Jct 12 exit slip road closure
- M25 Clockwise Jct 22 to Jct 23 carriageway closure
- M3 northbound Jct 4 to Jct 3 carriageway closure
- M4 westbound Jct 1 to Jct 3 carriageway Closure
- M4 Eastbound Jct 3 to Jct 1 Carriageway Closure
- M4 eastbound Jct 23 to 22 Prince of Wales Bridge carriageway closure
Saturday
- M3 southbound to M27 eastbound link road closure (closed from 9pm until 6am)
- M4 westbound Jct 10 exit slip road closure (closed from 9pm until 6am)
- M4 eastbound Jct 3 to Jct 1 carriageway closure (closed from 10pm until 6am)
- Sunday closures from 10.30pm until 5.30am
- M25 Clockwise Jct 2 entry slip road closure
- M4 eastbound Jct 3 to Jct 1 carriageway closure
- Monday
- M25 clockwise Jct 12 to M3 Eastbound Jct 2 link road closure (10pm until 5.30am)
- M25 Westbound Terminal 5 to M25 anticlockwise Jct 14 link road closure (10pm until 5am)
- M3 southbound Jct 3 to Jct 4 carriageway closure (9pm until 6am)
- M4 Eastbound Jct 3 to Jct 1 Carriageway Closure (10pm until 5am)
Meanwhile, the bank holiday weather forecast has also been revealed.
Thousands of sunseekers packed out parks and beaches to bask in highs of 26C today.
And temperatures are set to soar even more when the mercury hits 29C in parts tomorrow.
However figures are expected to dip slightly over the weekend, with rain to hit on Friday.
Met Office meteorologist Aidan McGivern said: “There are some showers about on Friday thanks to a weather front moving in. There are still some uncertainties about its position at present, so do keep up to date with Met Office forecasts for the very latest.
“It’s likely the high pressure we are enjoying this week will drift further northwest this weekend, allowing cooler air to drift southwards slowly.
“It will therefore be a different feel across the weekend, with a bit more cloud around and cooler temperatures than of late, back towards average for the time of year, with one or two showers possible across the weekend.”