Thousands of Britons flee wintry weather to holiday abroad
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Your support makes all the difference.The Christmas getaway has started with thousands of Britons fleeing to sunnier spots abroad, leaving the less adventurous to face the tiniest prospect of snow.
While the first of a record 1.8 million people flew abroad yesterday for the festive period, a series of accidents - on the M1 in Yorkshire, the M6 near Preston, the A1 in North Yorkshire and the A34 in Oxfordshire - caused chaos on British roads.
However, there was some holiday cheer for rail travellers: strikes planned on the Gatwick Express on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve were called off.
With snow forecast for Sunday in northern and eastern parts of Britain, and possibly as far south as Kent and Sussex, the Highways Agency warned motorists to be prepared. But forecasters from the Meteorological Office predicted that the wintry weather would relent by Tuesday, leaving the country with warmer, but wet, weather.
A spokesman for the Meteorological Office said: "There could be snow around on Sunday possibly anywhere across Britain but most likely in the higher regions of Scotland and northern England.
"Those hoping for a White Christmas are likely to be disappointed with temperatures possibly above normal from Tuesday onwards. With rain around as well, it could be a grey, overcast Christmas for many."
William Hill, the bookmaker, said Aberdeen was the most likely spot for a White Christmas, at odds of 7-2, while London, Glasgow, Manchester and Cardiff had 5-1 odds.
With schools on break for the holiday, the AA said that yesterday would be the third busiest day for travel, behind Christmas Eve and the return-to-work day on 5 January.
The Association of British Travel Agents said the most popular winter sun destinations for those going abroad were the Canary Islands and southern Spain.
John Harding, the association's president, said: "Christmas and the New Year are a peak time for the travel industry and this year's record bookings are a great boost for all our members after a very difficult year."
For long-haul travellers, the most popular spots were New York, Florida and the Caribbean, while for skiers the top destinations were France, Austria and Italy.
BAA, the airports operator, said that over the Christmas and New Year period, more than 550,000 people would be leaving the UK through the country's seven airports, which include Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted.
British Airways reported that 2.2 million passengers would be flying with the airline over the holiday, about 200,000 more than last year.
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