Bank Holiday travel chaos begins: Passengers already face massive airport queues as Brits escape for long weekend
BRITS hoping to jet away for the long weekend are facing massive airport queues this morning.
While the UK is hit by rain, thunder and lightning, thousands of sun seekers will today escape Britain for holidays abroad.
But before they relax on the beach or by the pool, they face huge queues in airports up and down the country.
Shocking photos show colossal lines already forming in Manchester Airport at 6.30am this morning.
Passengers took to social media this morning to share their fury.
One person wrote: “Seriously Manchester Airport need to sort their s**t out with security.
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“A 40-minute queue and still not even through.”
Meanwhile in Bristol snaps show lengthy snaking queues at the check-in area.
Bristol Airport chiefs recently admitted it had experienced "challenges" ahead of handling the expected late summer rush to the sun.
Busiest days are predicted to be today and tomorrow when an estimated 32,000 passengers a day will pass through the airport.
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It comes as many looking to escape this weekend will also be met with severe delays on UK roads.
The RAC expects 12.5 million leisure journeys will be made by car between Friday and Monday for what is the last public holiday before Christmas in the UK excluding Scotland.
Friday is predicted to be the busiest day for getaway trips, with the worst tailbacks likely to be between 2pm and 7pm, according to the breakdown rescue company.
Two probable blackspots for queues identified by traffic information supplier Inrix are the M25 between Bromley and the Dartford Crossing, and the M60 between Junction 7 for the A56 (Altrincham) and Junction 18 for the M62.
Motorists hoping to avoid the jams are advised to set off either before 7am or after 7pm.
And to make it worse, train services on some key routes will be disrupted due to engineering work.
Network Rail said upgrades worth £90 million will be carried out, but stressed that 95 per cent of lines will remain open.
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A reduced timetable will be in place between Northampton/Milton Keynes and London Euston due to HS2 work between Saturday and Monday.
Projects to rebuild junctions mean there will be no trains to London's Charing Cross or Cannon Street stations on Saturday or Sunday, with a limited service from Hastings and Tonbridge to London Bridge on both days.