Everything you need to know about the bank holiday weekend

Another bank holiday weekend is upon us, and with it comes big questions about traffic, trains, rain and supermarket chains. This is everything you need to know!

Weather

It’s been a distinctly soggy summer, but the weather’s looking up just in time for the bank holiday weekend – unless you live in Scotland.

It’s only a bank holiday in England and Wales however, and this is where the bulk of the good weather is heading.

The Met Office is forecasting thundery showers for northeast Scotland today, while rain is also expected in Northern Ireland.

The worst of the wet weather will ease on Friday in Northern Ireland but the rain will continue in much of Scotland until early Saturday.

Saturday is looking good for most of England and Wales, with a forecast of sunshine and warm temperatures in the low-mid 20s.

Further showers are forecast on Sunday in the northwest with the potential for more persistent rain later in the day.

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It will be dry in eastern Scotland and most of England and Wales however, especially in the south where it should be warm and sunny with temperatures again in the low-mid 20s.

Bank holiday Monday will be soggy in Scotland and Northern Ireland, with rain forecast in the morning. It should be warm and dry throughout the rest of the UK however, with the same warm temperatures.

Traffic

Reports suggest that around 5 million motorists will be heading off on leisure journeys on Monday, up by nearly a million on last year.

The RAC advises drivers to avoid travelling this afternoon or tonight and to leave as early as possible on Monday.

Traffic analyst, Inrix, predicts that the most congested areas are likely to be the M25 between junctions 9 and 21, the M5 southbound between junctions 14 and 22 and the M4 westbound.

Highways England said it was removing 445 miles of roadworks from motorways and major roads to help relieve some of the pressure on motorists.

According to travel trade organisation, Abta, around 2.1 million Brits will be travelling abroad over the weekend.

243,000 passengers are expected to leave Heathrow on Friday, while an estimated 304,000 will depart from Gatwick.

Trains

Major work is being carried out across the rail network as part of the Railway Upgrade Plan, and Network Rail is urging passengers to check schedules before they travel as some services will change between August 26-28 and others won’t be running at all.

The following major engineering works have been confirmed for the bank holiday weekend:

As part of the Thameslink Programme, no trains will run to or from London Charing Cross and London Cannon Street. Major improvement work is taking place at London Bridge, also part of the Thameslink Programme.

Preparatory work for High Speed Two (HS2) means that no trains will run to or from London Euston on Saturday or Sunday.

Crossrail work will continue, meaning no trains will be running between London Liverpool Street and Shenfield, Ingatestone, Billericay or Barking on Sunday and Monday.

The rebuilding of platforms at London Waterloo means that some platforms will be closed, resulting in an amended South Western Railway service until Sunday.

Electrification work on the Great Western Mainline started on 19 August in the Bristol Parkway area and this will affect services between Wales and London Paddington until Sunday 17 September.

Check here for updates.

Supermarkets

Unlike the bank holiday big guns of Good Friday and Christmas Day, most major supermarkets will be open this weekend – though their exact hours may have changed. This is how things will be looking at the main supermarkets on Monday:

Sainsbury’s

Hours will be a little different at Sainsbury’s on Monday. Check the store locator for all the information you need.

Tesco

Most Tesco stores will be open on bank holiday Monday from 8am-9pm, but there will be some regional variations. Check their store locator for precise information.

Morrisons

Most branches of Morrisons in England and Wales will be open between 8am-7pm on Monday, though some branches will be open until 10pm. Check their store finder to see if yours is one of them.

Asda

Asda branches will be open with reduced hours on bank holiday Monday; the exact hours will vary country-wide, so check their store locator to be sure.

Waitrose

Most branches will be open from 9am-6pm, though some will be open for longer or shorter hours. Check the store locator for exact information.

Lidl

Most stores will be open from 8am-10pm on Monday, but customers are advised to check the store finder for regional variations.

Aldi

Aldi stores in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will mostly be open from 8am-8pm on Monday, and until 10pm in Scotland. To check, click here.

Iceland

The freezer giant’s opening hours are likely to be reduced on Monday. Check their store locator for further information.