Easter getaway begins with flood alerts in place

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By Sean Seddon
BBC News

Millions of people are expected to travel on Good Friday as the Easter getaway gets into full swing.

A record number of travellers are planning to fly this weekend, and 2.6 million car journeys on UK roads are expected on Friday alone.

Drivers have been warned journeys could take twice as long on some routes.

While stormy weather which hit parts of the UK on Thursday is expected to ease off, dozens of flood warnings and alerts are in place in England.

Some 11 million people in the UK are planning an overnight trip this Easter, according to the tourist board Visit England.

A survey by motoring company RAC and transport analysis company Inrix suggests 14 million trips by road could be made across the weekend.

A weather system dubbed Storm Nelson by Spanish forecasters brought wet and windy conditions to Northern Ireland and the south of England on Thursday, with several rail operators and airports reporting disruption.

Some parts of southern England and Wales saw snow on Thursday but the outlook for the Easter Weekend is brighter for most

However, conditions are expected to improve on Good Friday and into the rest of the Easter weekend, according to BBC Weather presenter Chris Fawkes.

The UK is set to see a mix of sunshine and showers, with the potential for some heavy downpours and hail, though temperatures will remain close to average.

While there are no weather warnings are in place, 35 flood warnings and 183 flood alerts have been issued in England by the Environment Agency.

A further five flood alerts are in place in Wales, according to Natural Resources Wales.

Throughout Saturday and Sunday, some showers are expected but are unlikely to be as widespread.

Met Office meteorologist Dan Harris said most could expect a “fairly typical mix of spring-like weather”- however, more persistent rain could return to England and Wales on Monday.

Rail, air and sea

Airports and airlines are expecting “record-breaking” passenger numbers for this time of year as holidaymakers jet off abroad for the weekend.

Manchester Airport said it was preparing for about 320,000 passengers this weekend, 8% more than the equivalent last year.

Glasgow Airport said it would have extra staff in place during “three exceptionally busy weekends ahead”.

Planned engineering works could cause disruption for some rail passengers, including at London Euston – one of the UK’s busiest railway stations – which will be largely closed between Good Friday and Easter Monday.

Trains between London and East Anglia, and services to and from the capital via the West Coast Main Line are expected to be impacted by works, Network Rail warned.

Ferries arriving at Dover had to contend with rough seas on Thursday

French authorities at Dover have stepped up border checks after the country’s terror threat level was raised in the aftermath of the Moscow concert hall attack.

Drivers are being advised to plan ahead and leave extra time.

At peak times over the next few days, Dover has told coach operators that even with the right resources in place at the border, wait times could be up to 2.5 hours.

Eurotunnel told the BBC it was putting on extra shuttles and staff to cope with expected high numbers.

What are your travel plans for Easter? Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.

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