Bank holiday weekend could see hottest day of 2023 so far as families warned of traffic chaos

The Bank holiday weekend could see the hottest day of 2023 so far, with families warned of potential traffic chaos as people head out to enjoy the sun.

The Met Office said the area of high pressure, which has brought fine conditions across the UK over the last few days, is forecast to continue through the weekend and into next week, with temperatures expected to reach as high as 24C.

In Greater Manchester, temperatures are expected to reach highs of around 21C on the Saturday (May 27) with slightly cooler weather on the Sunday and Monday.

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The forecast predicts a mixture of sunshine and cloud for across the region, suggesting that high pressure will likely keep conditions dry over the long weekend.

Read our bank holiday weather forecast for every borough of Greater Manchester here.

Met Office chief forecaster Paul Gundersen said: “The jet stream sitting to the north of the UK is holding unsettled weather systems at bay and allowing high pressure to dominate bringing fine weather to the vast majority of the UK.

“The current position of the high-pressure means we will see a westerly air flow over the UK, a cooler direction than if air was being brought up from the south, and areas such as Spain or Africa.

“Therefore, we are not likely to reach heatwave conditions, but temperatures will still be warm reaching the low 20s for many, particularly in the South West and southern Wales.”

Meanwhile, travel experts are warning of a busy time on the roads, with families expected to head out to enjoy the most of the warm weather. The RAC is forecasting the busiest late May bank holiday since before the pandemic hit.

RAC spokesman Rod Dennis said: “We fully