UK weather forecast: Drivers warned of 'very unpleasant' conditions as strong winds and heavy rain sweep in amid Christmas getaway

Nineteen million motorists to hit motorways and main roads on Friday as offices and schools close for festive season

Drivers face “very unpleasant” conditions on Britain’s roads as millions of people make their way home for Christmas.

Motorists will be lashed by “strong, squally winds” and heavy rain as the holiday getaway begins on Friday evening, the Met Office warned.

Almost 19 million drivers are expected to hit the roads today, with work and school breaks combined with last-minute shopping set to make Friday the busiest day of the festive season for drivers, according to the AA.

Motorists will be hit by a narrow band of heavy rain passing east over England and Wales from 5pm, the Met Office said.

“The winds will really start to suddenly whip up as this band of heavy rain moves through,” said forecaster Alex Deakin.

He added: “It’s a narrow band of rain – it won’t last long. But all of a sudden, partly if you’re travelling, that will be very unpleasant indeed; strong, squally winds and some heavy rain too. And of course many people will be on the roads.”

The Met Office said the weather "would not be too disruptive" to travel.

But the RAC urged drivers to be prepared before they set off, warning just one breakdown “can bring some roads to a grinding halt, slowing down the Christmas getaway for all of us”.

It said the M25, M6 and M40 were likely be the worst traffic hotspots.

Drivers travelling on the southbound M40 between Warwickshire and Oxford were warned to expect delays of up to one hour and 50 minutes.

The anticipated traffic jams will be compounded by extensive disruption to the rail network, with planned engineering work and strikes forcing more people on to the roads over the festive period.

Strikes are likely to affect routes run by Northern Rail and South Western Railway between 22 and 31 December, while Network Rail is planning extensive engineering work on lines running into major stations such as London Paddington and London Victoria.

Thousands of people leaving the UK before Christmas faced ongoing disruption at Gatwick on Friday after rogue drones forced the airport to shut for more than 30 hours.

Some 126,000 passengers were due to travel on Friday, but 145 out of the scheduled 837 flights have already been cancelled despite the airfield’s runaway reopening. The airport’s operations are restricted to just a few departures and arrivals per hour and many aircraft remain out of position following Thursday’s travel chaos.

Those staying in the UK over Christmas are likely to enjoy see mild weather, with temperatures between 8C and 13C, according to the Met Office.

Chief meteorologist Will Lang said: “At the moment, it looks like it’s going to turn more settled by Christmas Day as high pressure builds across the country.

“Some of us will likely wake up to mist and fog on Christmas morning and although it should be a dry day for most, cloud could linger through the day. Those spending the day in northern and eastern parts of the country have the best chance of seeing some sunshine, perhaps following a frosty start.”