Hopes of a baking hot bank holiday weekend appeared forlorn today with much of the country facing downpours and normal temperatures during the last summer getaway of the year.
Around 16 million drivers are expected to be on the motorways this weekend as people take advantage of the extra day off.
But while London was today basking in warm sunshine - with the mercury reaching 27C - tomorrow will be a different story with rain sweeping across the east of England.
The 90,000-or-so music fans at Reading Festival are among those set to be hit by the wet weather.
Festival-goers, along with the rest of the country, should see the return of sunny weather on Sunday while Monday is also set fair - although temperatures will be stuck in the low 20s.
Met Office forecaster Laura Young said: “It is not going to be disastrous, but normal weather for this time of year.”
Millions of holiday-makers were heading abroad with Heathrow expecting more than 900,000 people through the airport, while Gatwick will handle 520,000 passengers with Mallorca, Malaga, Barcelona, and Dalaman in Turkey being the most popular destinations.
Around 266,000 people will travel through the port of Dover, while more than 110,000 people are expected to travel with Eurostar, a three per cent rise in passengers on last year.
The summer of hot weather has given the UK economy a welcome boost and the bank holiday getaway will help generate a further £1 billion, VisitEngland said.
