Christmas getaway warning as 85mph winds to batter UK: Millions of Brits race home to their families on busiest travel day of festive period with roads and airports already jam-packed

Britain’s drivers were urged not to travel on major routes for six hours from 1pm today to avoid the worst Christmas holiday traffic as this year’s getaway chaos began.

Today will be the busiest day on the roads during the festive period, with an estimated 23.7million drivers planning a trip, the AA said – more than the busiest Christmas getaway day of any year since the organisation started recording data in 2010.

It identified likely congestion hotspots, including the M4/M5 interchange near Bristol; the M25 near Heathrow Airport; the M5/M6 interchange near Birmingham; the M4 around Cardiff and Newport; the M60 near the Trafford Centre in Manchester; the M1 near Meadowhall in Sheffield; and the M8 between Edinburgh and Glasgow

The RAC and analytics firm Inrix expects queuing hotspots to include the M3 between its junction with the M25 and the south coast, the M25 anticlockwise between its junctions with the M1 and the M23, and the M53 from Chester to Liverpool.

Motorists also face rain and disruptive gusts of up to 85mph this weekend, with the Met Office issuing yellow wind warnings across the UK from 7am tomorrow.

Rail engineering work will lead to more pressure on roads – with no trains between London and Harpenden in Hertfordshire from tomorrow until December 29.

Further closures on other lines are set to begin over the coming days, affecting services to and from London Liverpool Street, Paddington, Crewe and Cambridge.

Disruption also impacted rail journeys today, with delays through Southampton due to a signalling fault; cancellations between Chester and Liverpool Lime Street because of a track defect; and a signal issue between Barnham and Chichester. Meanwhile the Piccadilly line in London had no service between Rayners Lane and Uxbridge.

Major airports will also be very busy throughout today – while storm damage means Holyhead Port in North Wales is closed to ferries until January 15, forcing many people who planned to travel to and from Ireland by boat to find an alternative route.

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Weather forecast – Rain, 85mph winds and warnings

The Met Office warned motorists that an area of low pressure will cross the far north of the UK tomorrow, bringing rain and strong winds across large swathes of the UK.

Yellow wind warnings have been issued for the weekend, with one covering Scotland, much of Northern Ireland, North Wales and North West England between 7am and midnight tomorrow.

Another warning is in place between midnight and 9pm on Sunday, covering Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and all of western England.

Winds of up to 85mph could hit coastal areas across northern Scotland tomorrow afternoon and evening, with more widespread gusts of 50 to 60mph on Sunday. 

Road, rail, air and ferry services in Scotland are all likely to be affected by the weather conditions, Transport Scotland said.

Met Office deputy chief meteorologist Rebekah Hicks said: ‘This period of disruptive weather coincides with a busy period on UK roads as the festive getaway starts for many.

‘The area of low pressure will bring rain and strong winds on Saturday, with a chance of significant disruption especially to transport networks across the north, including the potential for ferry cancellations.

‘The strongest winds are expected across northern Scotland on Saturday afternoon and evening, with the potential for gusts of 80 to 85mph in coastal districts.

‘The strong winds will be more widespread on Sunday with gusts of 50-60 mph across much of northern, central and western UK, locally higher for coasts and across high ground.’

The winds will ease for the start of next week but there will be further rain moving east across the UK on Monday night, the Met Office said.

Christmas Eve will be a mild, blustery day with further rain or drizzle at times in the west and the best chance of sunny spells in the east.

Christmas Day itself is likely to be settled, mostly cloudy and dry, although strong winds and spells of rain are likely in the far north. 

Temperatures are expected to be widely very mild, with the chance of a white Christmas looking slim, the forecaster added.

Airports – Busiest day for departures on Sunday

Meanwhile travel trade organisation Abta said an estimated four million people in the UK are preparing to spend the Christmas and New Year period overseas.

Sunday is set to be the busiest day for departures between Friday and January 2, with Christmas Day the quietest. 

Abta also said the most popular destinations for winter sun holidays will be the Canary Islands, southern Spain, Portugal, Turkey and Dubai.

The ski resorts of France, Austria, Switzerland and Scandinavia lead the way for holidaymakers seeking snow, while the most popular city break destinations include Amsterdam, Budapest, Dublin, Paris, Prague and Vienna.

London Heathrow expects this will be its busiest December on record for passenger numbers, exceeding the previous high of 6.7million in 2023.

Around half a million departing passengers are expected at both Manchester and London Stansted airports over the Christmas and new year period, with 400,000 at London Luton, 200,000 at Birmingham and 175,000 at Bristol.

Abta chief executive Mark Tanzer said: ‘Christmas and New Year are one of the busiest times of year for overseas travel with millions heading off to spend quality time with family and friends.

‘Holidaymakers are either looking for some winter sun or guaranteed snow, as well as the opportunity for everyone to relax and enjoy themselves with someone else doing the hard work of cooking and clearing up after the festivities.

‘We’re encouraging people to plan ahead when making their journeys. Public transport and the roads will be very busy, so always leave plenty of time to arrive at your departure port to avoid any difficulties.’

EasyJet said it is expecting its busiest-ever Christmas and new year period, with up to 4.1 million passengers boarding departures from airports across Europe.

Trains – Engineering works begin from tomorrow

Rail engineering work will lead to pressure on the roads with several lines closed.

London Liverpool Street station will be closed from Christmas Day until January 2, and no trains will call at London Paddington between December 27 and December 29.

There will be no direct services between Crewe and Liverpool – and a reduced service between Crewe and Manchester – from December 28 until January 3.

Services in the Cambridge area will be disrupted between December 27 and January 5, affecting CrossCountry, Greater Anglia, Great Northern and Thameslink.

Earlier this month, rail minister Lord Hendy expressed concern that Christmas train services could be disrupted by staffing shortages.

Many train drivers and other crew members do not have Sunday working included in their contracts, with numerous operators often relying on them volunteering to work extra paid shifts to run timetabled services on that day.

Giving evidence to the Commons’ Transport Select Committee, Lord Hendy said the Government is concerned about ‘staffing of Christmas services’.

Alex Hynes, director general for the Department for Transport’s rail services group, added: ‘Generally as a system, we’re over-reliant on overtime working for train crew.

‘That’s a risk, which may be worse at Christmas time than other times.’

Separately, workers on Avanti West Coast are to stage a series of strikes after rejecting a deal aimed at resolving a dispute over rest day working.

The Rail, Maritime and Transport union said its members working as train managers will strike on New Year’s Eve, January 2 and Sundays between January 12 and May 25.

An RMT spokesperson said: ‘Our members have resoundingly rejected Avanti’s latest offers in two referendums and sustained strike action is now the only way to focus management’s minds on reaching a negotiated settlement with the union.’

The RMT said up to 400 of its members are involved in the dispute. They voted by 83 per cent against a suggested deal.

Avanti said it was looking at how the strikes will impact services and will confirm its plans as soon as possible.

Strikes planned for December 22, 23 and 29 were suspended last week after a suggested agreement was put to a referendum of RMT members.

An Avanti West Coast spokesperson said: ‘This strike action will cause significant disruption to our customers making journeys on the West Coast Main Line over an extended period.

‘We’re disappointed our train managers who are RMT members have voted to decline the very reasonable, revised offer made to them to resolve the rest day working dispute and avoid inconveniencing our customers.

‘We remain open to working with the RMT to resolve the dispute.’

Roads – Today will be busiest with hotspots highlighted

The AA predicted that today will be the busiest day on the roads during the festive period. 

The joint second worst days for traffic jams over the 2024 festive period are expected to be Saturday and next Monday, each with 22.7 million drivers on the road.

So-called amber traffic warnings have been issued by the AA for all three days.

More than half of journeys over the Christmas period are anticipated to be no more than 50 miles.

The AA said Christmas Day falling on a Wednesday may help spread festive journeys this year, but could also means more days of long delays as many people will embark on a getaway from work today followed by last-minute shopping trips and visits to friends and family.

Drivers are being advised to pack essentials such as warm clothing, food, water and a fully-charged phone in case their journey takes longer than expected.

Chris Wood, AA Patrol of the Year, said: ‘The Ghost of Christmas Past shows that each year, avoidable breakdowns snowball into miles of queues on the roads.

‘Drivers can maintain the Christmas cheer by performing basic checks on their car before any journey.

‘This includes topping up the windscreen wash and anti-freeze, checking your lights and adjusting tyre pressures for a full load if necessary.

‘With people driving fewer miles, it means there will be more localised congestion as record numbers head out on the roads this festive period.

‘The best way to ensure hassle-free journeys is to plan them well.

‘Check the traffic reports before you leave and try to travel when it’s quieter if you can, or consider taking a different route to beat the jams.’

Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day are expected to be the quietest days on the roads.

Although December 25 usually has the fewest breakdowns on any day in a year, the AA said it will still have patrols available nationwide. It came to the aid of 2,400 members on Christmas Day 2023.

Meanwhile the RAC said it commissioned a survey of 2,100 UK adults which suggested 3.0million leisure trips by car are planned for today, rising to 3.7million for Saturday.

The RAC expects getaway traffic to peak on Christmas Eve, with 3.8million journeys.

An estimated total of 29.3million festive journeys will be made between Wednesday and Christmas Eve, which is the most since the RAC began recording the data in 2013.

A separate RAC poll of 1,074 adults indicted that 53 per cent of people planning such journeys by car said they will use that form of transport because it gives them more flexibility and convenience.

More than a third (35 per cent) said their journey would take too long via public transport, while 34 per cent said public transport was not a practical option because they were travelling with several people or will have lots of luggage.

RAC spokesperson Alice Simpson said: ‘Our research suggests that with Christmas falling on a Wednesday this year, many drivers will be squeezing in their getaway trips right up until the big day itself.

‘While the getaway starts to ramp up from Friday, snarl-up Saturday looks particularly challenging, as does Christmas Eve.

‘Travelling outside peak hours might be the only way drivers miss the worst of the jams.’

Inrix transportation analyst Bob Pishue said: ‘With so many people expected to hit the road this holiday season, drivers should expect delays in and around major cities.

‘Planning ahead is key to avoiding the country’s worst traffic jams.’

National Highways said more than 95 per cent of roadworks on its network of England’s motorways and major A roads will be lifted from 6am on Friday and will not be reinstated until January 2.

This includes 45 miles of roadworks on the M1, which were put in place while additional emergency smart motorway stopping areas were installed.

National Highways customer service director Andrew Butterfield said: ‘With more people expected to travel during the festive period and recent storms causing widespread disruption, it’s crucial for drivers to plan ahead and exercise extra caution on the roads.

‘To help make journeys smoother, we’re removing roadworks on 95% of the roads we manage.’

National Highways uses the acronym Trip to remind drivers to: Top-up fuel, water and oil; Rest every two hours; Inspect tyres and lights; and Prepare by planning for severe weather.

RAC breakdown spokesperson Rod Dennis: ‘Gusty winds, and heavy showers in the north and west of the UK, are going to make millions of getaway trips by car all the more arduous this weekend.

‘We understand it’s nearly Christmas and many people will be eager to get to their destinations, but our advice to drivers is to slow down, leave more space behind the car in front and be wary of the impact sudden strong gusts of wind can have.

‘In these challenging conditions it’s vital to keep both hands on the wheel and watch out for high-sided vehicles that could potentially be blown off course.

‘Those whose journeys involve using major bridges should allow extra time in case they are closed for safety reasons. Carrying an emergency breakdown kit in the boot is also important – sturdy shoes, warm clothes, waterproofs and a fully-charged mobile powerbank with cable are all must-haves.’

And Douglas Cairns from Transport Scotland said: ‘Road, rail, air and ferry services are all likely to be affected by the conditions, with longer journey times and cancellations possible, as well as potential restrictions on bridges.

‘The network is also expected to be busier than usual, given it’s the last weekend before Christmas.

‘As always, we ask travellers to plan their journeys before setting off to ensure they reach their festive celebrations in good time.

‘If you’re driving, make sure your vehicle is winter ready and follow any Police Scotland travel advice that may be in place. Traffic Scotland provides up-to-date travel information on the trunk road network through its website, X account and internet radio broadcasts.

‘The same advice goes for other modes of transport – if you are planning to travel by rail, air or ferry, stay in contact with your operator for the latest service information.’