Britain’s drivers are being warned that the August bank holiday weekend could be the busiest on record, with the RAC forecasting about 20 million car journeys between Friday and Monday. Friday is expected to be the most congested day, as holidaymakers and day-trippers travel during a spell of warm, dry weather; the volume of traffic could cause long delays on major routes.

The RAC estimates 4.1 million getaway journeys on Friday, followed by 3.8 million on Saturday, 3.1 million on Sunday and 3.4 million on bank holiday Monday, plus 5.5 million journeys whose timing is undecided. Higher fuel costs have prompted 13% of surveyed drivers to cancel plans, while rail passengers will also face disruption from engineering works and an RMT strike affecting East Midlands Railway services on Sunday and Monday.