West Country drivers urged to be mindful of weather conditions as Easter getaway begins

The RAC is warning drivers to expect long delays on the M5 southbound this Good Friday, as the Easter getaway begins.

It's thought that 2.6 million leisure journeys will be made by car on Friday 29 March, with the worst delays expected between 11am and 3pm.

At 2pm it was reported there were queues of 15-20 miles on the M4 and M5 interchange near Bristol, adding 45 minutes on to journey times.

A yellow wind warning is also in force across Devon and Cornwall.

Its thought that that some exposed coastal spots may experience gusts of 60 to 70mph.

The Met Office said: “The strong winds will be accompanied by heavy, squally showers with the possibility of hail and thunder in some locations.

"Hail won’t fall everywhere but where it does it can quickly make road surfaces slippery, while surface water and spray are likely to worsen travel conditions rather more widely.”

The RAC says holidaymakers should take precautions before setting off on journeys, and expects the route to Devon and Cornwall to become congested.

RAC's Simon Williams said: “Everyone’s heading to Devon and Cornwall, that’s the attraction, and there’s been a bit of better weather.

“It’s causing some pretty horrendous queues.”

Rod Dennis from the RAC told ITV West Country: "Through the course of Good Friday we do expect traffic to build up significantly on that classic seasonal spot between Bristol and Taunton on the M5.

"Huge numbers of people being channelled down towards Devon and Cornwall. So I think that's the area to avoid if you possibly can.

"But of course for many of us, that is the only real feasible means of reaching that part of the country. So if you're travelling that way, expect some delays."

Tourist board VisitEngland has said around 11 million people in the UK are planning an overnight Easter trip, generating an estimated £3.2 billion for the economy.