Shoppers and those heading away for the holiday will take advantage of settled weather ahead of one of the busiest weekends of the year. 

Motoring organisations predict a hectic three days on motorways and other roads, with traffic expected to peak at lunchtime today. 

The RAC said 1.25 million more leisure journeys, on top of normal traffic, will trigger delays. 

Spokesman Rod Dennis said: “We strongly urge drivers to carefully plan their route before they leave to reduce the chances of being caught in lengthy queues.”  

Traffic analyst Inrix said delays are most likely to affect the M25, M4, M6, M3 and M1 over Christmas. 

Families heading off before the weekend are promised a settled trip, while those who wait face stormier conditions. 

The Met Office said wind and rain are set to pick up over the weekend after a mild run-up to the getaway. 

Forecaster Emma Sharples said: “Friday is looking relatively calm and temperatures will be milder than average for the time of year, which will help everyone with travel plans.  

“It will get windier over the weekend and there will be some persistent rain around from Saturday, which will become more widespread by Boxing Day. 

“There may be a bit of snow around on Christmas Day and exposed regions could see gusts of up to 60mph as low pressure systems come in.” 

But the Met Office has issued a severe weather warning for heavy rain in Scotland on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. 

Chief forecaster Steve Willington warned that localised flooding could bring road closures, hindering Christmas travel plans.  

He said: “Spray and flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures. 

“There is a small chance that some homes and businesses could be flooded, with power cuts and loss of other services. 

“There is also a small chance of fast-flowing or deep floodwater causing danger to life and causing some communities to be cut off by flooded roads.” 

Meanwhile, rail travellers are urged to check timetables for delays and cancellations over the next few days. 

Today’s planned strike by Virgin Trains West Coast workers was called off yesterday but the company warned there could still be some cancellations on its routes. 

The West Coast main line will be suspended between Preston and Lancaster for four days from Sunday with buses replacing trains. 

In London, Paddington station will be closed for four days from Sunday, while Southeastern – which serves London, Kent and East Sussex – will not run trains to London Bridge, Charing Cross and Cannon Street until New Year’s Day. 

Network Rail chief executive Mark Carne said: “We know that our railway is up to 50 per cent quieter than usual during the festive period. 

“Taking on and delivering these huge transformational schemes at this time of year minimises our impact on passengers.”