Manic Monday: Temperatures soar to 20C as drivers are warned of chaos on the roads with millions heading home after Easter

Families across UK are making the most of the final day of Easter as glorious sunshine sweeps across country

But for those on roads, the sunny weather is likely to be only a silver lining as millions drive home after holidays

In the south there have been outbreaks of heavy rain, which the AA says is 'bad combination' with drivers



Motoring groups have warned of traffic jams on major routes - with start of school terms likely to add to chaos




Heavy rain in the south is threatening to cause problems on the roads as millions head home from the Easter break, the AA warned tonight.



The motoring group said it is 'keeping its fingers crossed' there will be no major incidents as Spring showers hit the roads on 'manic Monday'.

The AA also warned of traffic jams on major routes - with the start of many schools terms expected to heighten the chaos.

Families across Britain were making the most of the final day of the Easter holidays today as glorious sunshine sweeps across the country - with temperatures as high as 20C.



Serene: Families across Britain are making the most of the final day of Easter today as sunshine sweeps the country. Above, an elderly couple look out to sea in Somerset

Glorious sunshine: Temperatures are set to soar to 19C, particularly in the south of England. Above, Ehad Ahmed (left) and his family eat ice cream on Southsea beach

Having fun: But for those on the roads, the sunny weather is likely to be only a silver lining as millions of people drive home. Above, Ehad and his cousins , ada and Imani

Warm temperatures: Harley Stone (right), two eats an ice cream on Southsea beach, Portsmouth, while Lola Bambrick (left), also two, enjoys the sunshine in Dorset



The M5 has been problematic today, with a bottleneck around Bristol - while drivers were forced to queue for five miles along the A31 this morning as thousands headed for the beach in Bournemouth, Dorset .



Further delays of up to 20 minutes were expected on the M3 from Southampton, the A303 from the South West, the M23 from Brighton, the M25 and the M6 from the Lake District.

An AA spokesman told the MailOnline said: 'The heavy outbreaks of rain in the south we have seen and people coming back from the Easter break are a bad combination. We are keeping our fingers crossed that there are no major incidents.'



Earlier, the company said 'a lot of people' were likely to be taking to the roads today as they returned home from Easter breaks.

A spokesman said: 'When there is traffic coming back from a Bank Holiday, such as Easter, there is guaranteed to be more congestion on the roads. All it takes is for an accident or hold-up to cause a delay.



Relaxing: People headed for Britain's beaches in their droves today - with temperatures in parts of the country reaching 19C. Above, a couple sunbathe on a beach

Riding donkeys: In some areas, a sea breeze brought temperatures down, but that didn't stop sun-seekers flocking to the coast. Above, Weston-super-Mare beach

The central message is that drivers travelling across Britain today should expect to run into some delays and build time into their journeys to factor this in.'



'Manic Monday' follows a chaotic weekend of travel, with an estimated 18million motorists taking to the roads in Britain over the past three days, according to the RAC.



Jennifer Hart, from the Highways Agency, said yesterday a number of roadworks have been lifted to ease congestion, but added: ‘We are predicting that Easter Monday afternoon will be busier than usual as people head back on the main holiday routes home.’

Engineering work on the railways could also affect journeys home today, with work being carried out at more than 3,000 locations.

Joyful: Other sun-seekers were spotted swimming at Portishead Open Air Pool in Somerset. Louise Sheppard-Clayton lifts her daughter Holly, three, in the air at the pool

In the open: Charlie Powell, of the Met Office, said today's temperatures were well above average for the month of May let alone April. Above, Portishead Open Air Pool

Popular: Swimmers at Clifton Lido, Bristol also made the most of the sunshine today as the UK enjoyed warm temperatures

But those staying off the roads and railways have been making the most of today's sunny weather - with people heading for Britain's beaches in their droves.



The temperature in parts of eastern England and London reached 19C - hotter than Athens. In Bournemouth, Dorset, a sea breeze brought that figure down to 16C but that didn't stop families flocking to the coast to soak up the sun.



Claire Merry, 28, from Southampton, said: 'It feels almost like summer than it does spring. It's hard to believe that yesterday we had grey skies and lots of rain when today there is hardly a cloud in sight.'

Maypole dancing: Children (l-r) Lilyanna Woodhead, Lily Selwood, Isabelle Caunt, Rosie Moulton, Alice Prest, Meryn Banks, and Sarah Churcher, (Dance Teacher), practice their dancing skills outside The Swan Inn in Carleton-in-Craven, North Yorkshire, today in preparation for May Day

Round and round they go: The girls have been taught May Day songs and dances amid fears the tradition could be lost forever if it is not passed on to the next generation

Colourful: Suzanne Roberts skips through the tulips at Arundel Castle in West Sussex today. The tulips mark the 400th anniversary of the flowers being grown in Europe

Meanwhile, other sun-seekers were spotted swimming at Portishead Open Air Pool in Portishead, Somerset, and another open-air facility in Bristol.

Charlie Powell, a duty forecaster for the Met Office, said today's temperatures were well above average for the month of May, let alone April.

'Part of the east of England and London will see temperatures as high as 18C or 19C. The average for May is 13C so you can see how well we are doing,' he said.



'When there is traffic coming back from a Bank Holiday, such as Easter, there is guaranteed to be more congestion on the roads'

Luke Bosdet, AA spokesman



'We had a lot of high pressure last week and that is now moving east towards Scandinavia but the winds are moving clockwise and bringing the warm air back over us.

'We are expecting Tuesday to be sunny with a few outbreak of heavy and thundery showers so people should have a brolly handy.

'It will still be quite warm and temperatures well into the mid-teens.'

Today's blue skies and bright sunshine are in stark contrast to the cold wind and heavy rain of Easter Sunday, which saw thunder and lightning strike several coastal areas.

Southern areas of the UK, such as Kent, Sussex and Dorset, were among the worst hit - with more than an inch of rain.

It meant a washout for many people planning outdoor Easter Sunday celebrations, while temperatures peaked at just 15C (59F).



However, it was still be a far cry from the wettest Easter on record, which saw more than 148mm of rain recorded at Oakeley Quarry, near Blaenau Ffestiniog in Gwynnedd on April 14, 1963.



