BUMPER TO BUMPER
BRITS are suffering Christmas getaway chaos as millions hit the road to make it home to celebrate.
Drivers have already been sat in ten-mile queues on motorways, with cars clogging up the lanes.
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People across the nation have been forced to reassess their travel plans after a string of transport strikes kicked off.
The AA revealed a whopping 17 million Brits are expected to brave the congestion from Friday, with huge delays already wreaking havoc across the roads.
An urgent Amber Traffic warning has been announced as unmerry motorists were trapped in traffic on Friday.
The combination of heavy downpours and bumper-to-bumper tailbacks proved a recipe for disaster on the M25.
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Flooding on the route left furious commuters stuck in a 10-mile queue after Junction 11 and 12 were closed to get rid of the excess water.
The M25 and other major routes linked to the London orbital are expected to see the worst traffic from Friday.
National Highways said two of the four lanes were later reopened, allowing the gridlock to ease.
But further queues were forecast by the RAC, who issued a "severe traffic alert" for the clockwise section of the M25 between junction seven for the M23 and junction 16 for the M40.
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Drivers can expect to face similar wet conditions over the Christmas period as a band of heavy rain swoops in.
Although the majority of the country will be dealt a cloudy and wet Sunday, Scotland is expected to enjoy a White Christmas.
Interchanges connecting the M25 with the M3, M4, M1, M11, M20 and A1(M) are forecast to experience delays over the weekend.
Congestion on the clockwise section between junction seven for the M23 and junction 16 for the M40 is expected to peak at 12.30pm on Friday, when delays of around 50 minutes are likely.
The M4/M5 interchange at Bristol is likely to experience heavy congestion throughout the period as well as the M5 at Exeter.
Delays are predicted to take place on the M6 Birmingham area and the M11/A14 junction north of Cambridge.
The AA said "severe congestion" was paralysing several motorway stretches on Friday as desperate travellers rush home for Christmas.
It comes as tragedy struck on Thursday when a driver was killed in a multi-vehicle crash on the M20.
Junction four was closed for several hours on Friday morning following the incident, seeing vehicles diverted onto exit and entry slip roads.
The reroute resulted in three miles of congestion and delays of at least 45 minutes.
AA president Edmund King said: "Friday and Saturday will be the busiest on the roads with some 17 million trips each day.
"Then we're expecting Christmas Day to be quieter with shorter local journeys.
"On Boxing Day traffic will pick up again with approximately 15 million trips as people head out to see friends and family."
Brits have been forced to take to the roads after strikes by the RMT union which have brought the nation's railways to a juddering halt - with more expected in January.
And walkouts by 1,000 Border Force staff have already sparked chaos at six UK airports this morning.
Over 250,000 are set to arrive into Britain's terminals on Friday as they board flights out the country, but airport officials are warning they may struggle to cope.
London Heathrow, Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow, and Cardiff have already reporting delays in their terminals.
Soldiers from Britain's Armed Forces - who are not allowed to strike - have been marched in to man passport checks.
But airports warn they could be forced to close altogether, a decision that will trigger misery for hundreds of thousands who already missed past Christmases due to Covid.
Transport analytics company Inrix expects journey times on the roads to be around 14% longer, compared to the same period last year.
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Jack Cousens, head of roads policy for The AA, urged Brits to spend 10 minutes checking their car before heading off - because breakdowns add to the traffic.
And he stressed it was vital for travellers to carry warm clothing, water and snacks in case they are faced with problems.
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