Cold and wet? Must be a bank holiday

By Sara Newman

Published: 28 May 2007

Britain's bank holiday weekend was a washout, with heavy rain across much of the country yesterday, and more wet and chilly weather predicted today.

Temperatures, expected to drop to 10C today, should improve slightly by Tuesday, with much of England and Wales enjoying brighter spells, but showers will continue throughout the week.

A Met Office spokesman said: "The air is cold over all the British Isles. There will be snow on the Scottish mountains. But what is unusual is the heavy rain affecting England and Wales and the low temperatures."

The weather is unlikely to affect traditional bank holiday traffic jams. The RAC predicted congestion on routes to airports, the M6 southbound and the M4 west from London towards the M5 and South Wales.

A Visit Britain spokes-person said: "Even bad weather has advantages: better waves for surfers in Cornwall and snow for skiers. We also have fantastic indoor attractions from museums and galleries to indoor climbing-walls and Xscape snowboarding."

But the weather has been a boon for the new £62m Dickens World, an indoor theme park in Kent dedicated to the author. "We can't take any more people," said a spokesman. "It's been extremely busy."