Record number of Britons fly abroad for Easter

The first of a record 2.2 million people travelling abroad this Easter have flown out of Britain.

Many of those staying at home are expected to take to the roads, with the RAC predicting that as many as 17 million vehicles will be on the move over the holiday period.

The RAC said that evening rush-hour is likely to start early, with Good Friday also expected to be a busy time on the roads.

Forecasters predict that the best of the weather will be on Good Friday when temperatures could reach as high as 18C (64F) in southern England.

Although Saturday is likely to be dry and sunny in places, cooler and showery weather is expected on Easter Sunday and Easter Monday.

Sporting events over the weekend include the Boat Race on Sunday, England's World Cup match against Northern Ireland in Manchester and the Cardiff World Cup clash between Wales and Austria.

Those going abroad are heading for such destinations as New York, Dublin, Paris, Tenerife and southern Spain.

The Association of British Travel Agents said many ski resorts are sold out and that north Africa is proving a popular Easter destination for Britons.

The Highways Agency has suspended a number of roadworks on major routes in England, but some remain in place, including those on the western section of the M25 near Heathrow airport - the busiest stretch of the country's busiest motorway.

Roadworks at junction 6 on the M6 in Birmingham will also stay over the weekend.

On the railways, there will be widespread engineering works, with many trains being replaced by buses over the holiday period.

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/index.jhtml