May Day holiday is a washout

Today's may Day bank holiday is forecast to be cold and wet. After the third sunniest April in 100 years, May has ushered in a national washout, with the heavy downpours that began on Friday evening continuing through the weekend. Temperatures slid below freezing in parts of the north.

This morning should have a sunny start across much of England, but there will be showers across central and eastern areas by midday. Wales will be bright, with sunny intervals, and Scotland will also be bright, but with occasional showers. Northern Ireland will be dry and sunny.

The showers should ease off, but the accompanying winds will mean daytime temperatures will struggle to reach double figures. Tom Tobler, forecaster for MeteoGroup, said the north-easterly winds would add a chill factor. Temperatures will hover between 7C and 11C, following the highs in April when the mercury repeatedly topped 20C.

Widespread travel disruptions mean that many people will find reaching their chosen bank holiday destinations even more complicated than usual.

Engineering work is affecting most major rail routes, including the East Coast line between London and Leeds, South West Trains, and Southern and East Midland trains. In London, the Jubilee and Waterloo & City lines are closed, and seven others are partially shut.