Brits face Easter getaway hell at Faro airport with holidaymakers stuck in 'three-hour queues' amid 'staff shortages and e-Gates that don't work'

British holidaymakers have been suffering Easter getaway misery at the main airport for Portuguese resort Faro, queuing for hours amid alleged staff shortages.

Travellers have told of enduring three-hour delays for their flights amid e-Gates not working and a lack of information from airlines this Easter Sunday.

They described 'carnage at the airport', with children crying and some struggling passengers passing out while waiting in vain to arrive or travel back home to Britain.

The travel hell came as staycationers back home in Britain also had to endure lengthy waits on traffic-clogged motorways. 

Yvette Hughes took to X, formerly Twitter, to challenge airline Jet 2 over the Faro chaos.

She wrote: 'What the hell is going on? 3 and a half hour's queuing through security.

'My knees are swollen, someone has passed out, children are crying. Not a bit of information from anyone.'

The airline told her: 'We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused. However, the same has been forwarded to us for a quick action.

'Kindly send us a direct message and we will update you at earliest and accordingly.'

Ms Hughes later responded by saying: 'Still queuing and no reply. 4 hours.'

Another passenger posted: 'Legitimately been in line for customs for 3 hours at Faro airport. My flight was only an hour and 40.'

And a fellow traveller wrote: 'Faro Airport. Not enough staff. Electronic gates that don't work. People stuck for over 3 hours and not moving. Happy Easter.'

The disruption in Portugal comes as travellers hoping to make the most of the Easter weekend found themselves trapped in 'horrendous' 20-mile long queues on major motorways in the UK.

Staycationers were clogging up routes to Devon and Cornwall, while holidayers also experienced lengthy delays at the Port of Dover in Kent.

And there was 'significant' congestion around the M25 and roads in the South West and South East of England.

And heavy rain in the south of England and parts of Wales will likely cause travel disruption and lead to difficult driving conditions this evening, forecasters have said.

The Met Office predicted heavy showers between 8pm and 11.45pm which could affect bus and train services, with road flooding potentially increasing journey times.

A yellow weather warning has been issued for parts of south-west and south-east England, and parts of Wales.

Affected regions include Portsmouth, Southampton, Bristol, Bath and Cardiff.

Up to 20mm to 30mm of rainfall is expected to fall in some areas over a short period of time.

Liam Eslick, a forecaster at the Met Office, said there was a 'risk of localised flooding' in areas such as Somerset, Bristol and Dorset as the evening progresses because of sensitive river levels.

Flood warnings were put in place across Dorset and elsewhere on Friday after Storm Nelson saw the south coast battered by rain and high winds.

Mr Eslick said: 'Being the bank holiday weekend, people are travelling around at this time, so we'd recommend checking road coverage if people are driving or any bus and train timetables to see if there are any cancellations.'

The rainfall will move northward after midnight, meaning Monday morning showers are likely across central England, he added.

The RAC and transport analysis company Inrix said 2.01million leisure journeys would be made by car on Easter Monday, with the lengthiest delays expected between 10am and noon.

No weather warnings have yet been issued for Monday.

The Met Office also said the Sunday evening rain may be 'accompanied by an isolated rumble of thunder', as it encouraged people to check if their property is at risk of flooding and plan journeys in advance to minimise disruption to their commute.

Guidance on the Met Office website encourages drivers to reduce their speeds, as rain can reduce visibility, and give themselves more time to brake on slippery road surfaces - suggesting a gap of at least four seconds between traffic.

Areas in the north of England and Scotland are expected to be much sunnier throughout the day and experience less rain, the weather service said.