Worst time to travel on Bank Holiday weekend revealed as 19.2m drivers hit UK roads and flights ALREADY cancelled

THE worst time to travel on the Bank Holiday weekend has been revealed as 19.2million drivers hit the roads with flights already cancelled.

Thousands of motorists have already taken to the roads for the long weekend with traffic building throughout the morning.

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The RAC have said that today is expected to be the worst day for traffic congestion, with a whopping 3.3 million people hitting the roads.

Motorists embarking on bank holiday getaways are competing for road space with commuters which has led to clogged up highways.

And those heading out for a summer getaway have been warned about the worst time to avoid travelling.

Journeys on some stretches of the M25 could to take up to three times longer than normal, according to transport data company Inrix.

Pictures this morning showed backed up vehicles on the A282 heading towards the Dartford river crossing in Kent.

While motorists at the Port of Dover are already encountering huge traffic queues.

Those in the capital were also facing severe delays with Blackwall Tunnel in Greenwich clogged with drivers.

The RAC have predicted that a huge 19.2 million leisure car trips will take place across the Bank Holiday weekend.

Meanwhile, thousands of holidaymakers heading to the airport to get out of the country have seen their plans scuppered.

Half-term plans were thrown into disarray after British Airways cancelled at least 42 more flights today due to the impact of an IT failure.

Around 16,000 passengers have been affected by the cancellations.

In a message on its website, British Airways told customers: “We’re aware of a technical issue, which we have been working hard to fix.”

It advised passengers to check the status of their flight before going to the airport, adding that it is receiving “high call volumes”.

The RAC warned that traffic levels could be some of the busiest since before Covid.

And they advised that setting off in the early morning or “delaying trips until the evening” would be the best way to avoid delays.

Long delays are also expected on the M5 in Somerset and the M6 in Cheshire and Greater Manchester.

RAC Breakdown spokesman Rod Dennis said: “With the travel restrictions imposed during Covid now thankfully a distant memory, it’s clear drivers’ desire to get away has been reignited, with our figures for this coming weekend suggesting leisure traffic volumes will be close to what we last saw in 2019.

“The Met Office currently predicts largely settled weather with above-average temperatures so we’re expecting this to be a hectic period on major roads as people aim to make the most of the last long weekend before August.”

Mr Dennis added: “We fully expect families to make the most of the largely fine weather over the coming days which is we’re forecasting the busiest late May bank holiday since before the pandemic.

“Into next week and half term for many parts of the UK, day trips will also be a big feature with popular routes to the coasts and countryside becoming busy.

“Getting away early in the morning or delaying trips until the evening are the best way to avoid the inevitable delays.”