Steven Skeates, deputy chief meteorologist at the Met Office, has said there will be “changeable weather for many” during the bank holiday weekend.

An area of low pressure could bring “heavy and possibly even disruptive rain” on Good Friday for parts of south-west England, Northern Ireland and South Wales, he added.

Drivers have been warned to expect to face delays to their journeys this weekend as millions are expected to hit the road for an Easter getaway.

People planning on travelling on major routes such as the M6 at Birmingham and around the Blackpool area, the south and western section of the M25, the M5 at Bristol and the A303 in Wiltshire have been advised to prepare for congestion.

The AA estimated that 19.1 million people in the UK will drive on Good Friday, with 18.5 million hitting the road on Saturday and 18.2 million on each of Easter Sunday and Monday.