Long and windy roads home for holiday motorists

DRIVING home for Christmas could wear you out this weekend - and many of us will shop til we drop, too.

- SASKIA ROWLANDS

With winds of up to 80mph set to sweep the country and 23.7million motorists expected to hit the roads this weekend, the RAC warned this year's great Christmas getaway could prove to be a "pretty exhausting experience".

And it urged travellers to try to be patient as traffic builds up this morning.

Meanwhile, the AA said tomorrow morning could be the busiest as millions may decide to wait until then in a bid to avoid weekend jams.

But drivers were already facing delays yesterday, with long queues snaking towards the Blackwall Tunnel in South East London.