Britain braced for travel chaos as Met Office makes 'warm' weather prediction

Britain is braced for travel chaos this weekend as the great getaway continues. finished for the on Friday and the RAC expects 3.4million people to hit the roads each day. The M25 is set to see long tailbacks into Monday, while says the period will be its busiest so far this year.

A traffic system for lorries crossing the Channel at Dover will remain in place until schools return. But it’s not all bad news, as warm and dry conditions are expected to continue across the country this week. It comes after Friday saw 23.7C recorded in Otterbourne, Hants - the hottest day of the year so far. England also saw its sunniest March on record.

meteorologist Craig Snell said: “The sunshine is getting stronger every day. I still think, for many people, if you’re not exposed to that wind, it will still be pleasantly warm during the days as we go through next week.

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“There’s hints maybe it turns again a little bit warmer towards the end of next week. It’s probably a little bit too early to say exactly how warm, but I’d say probably at least above average for most.”

He added that nights will be chilly with a chance of frost from time to time. More unsettled conditions are not likely to arrive until at least the middle of the month.

Major blazes erupted during dry in and Dorset this week, with the fires spanning an area of around 1.5 miles. Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service said it responded to a “significantly large fire” on Friday.

Two children have also suffered water-related deaths during the ongoing dry spell. The Metropolitan Police said a 15-year-old boy died after he “got into difficulty” in a lake in Lewisham, south-east London, while a 16-year-old boy also got into difficulty while swimming in a lake in Cambridgeshire.

A third child, 11-year-old Kaliyah Coa, is still missing after she entered the River Thames close to London City Airport in east London on Monday.

Looking further ahead, the Met Office's forecast for April 10 to April 19 states: "Widely dry and sunny at first with high pressure across the UK, although cloudier in some parts of the far north and far east, perhaps with some light drizzle at times. Winds are likely to be light with temperatures above normal away from windward coasts.

"A gradual change to a more unsettled weather regime is likely thereafter, with Atlantic frontal systems or showers from the south making inroads across the UK. This is expected to herald a wetter period with showers or longer spells of rain at times, which could be heavy and thundery in places. This could be accompanied by strong winds, particularly in the south and west. Temperatures are likely to gradually return closer to normal."