The holiday's definitely over! Traffic hell for those returning back home for work after four-day Easter weekend as gridlocked roads make it slow going

Traffic hell has begun this afternoon with Britons bracing themselves for gridlocked roads and hour long queues as they travel home after their four-day Easter getaway. 

An estimated two million holidaymakers are making return journeys today with the worst congestion expected in the southwest of England and in the Home Counties. 

There are already long queues on the M5 between Bristol and Taunton with motorists in bumper-to-bumper tailbacks.  On some parts of the motorway traffic has clogged up causing it to crawl to 16mph with 30 minute delays. 

A major traffic accident has also taken place this afternoon between Junctions 23 and 24 of the M60, just outside of Denton, Greater Manchester.

The 'serious' incident has forced the motorway to close in both directions, while an air ambulance has been spotted at the scene.

Bystanders have been urged by police not to film the scene and to 'think of the families' of those involved. Other drivers were chastised for getting treats for an ice cream van instead of remaining inside their vehicles.

North West Motorway Police also urged drivers to stay away from the area and look for alternate routes.

Posting to X, they wrote: 'We have a serious incident on M60 between j23 and j24 both carriageways will be closed to allow helimed to land and investigations to continue - please find another route.'

Elsewhere, long queues are reported on the A102M Blackwall tunnel in Greenwich, southeast London. 

And there was bank holiday chaos across Britain's rail network this afternoon, with major engineering work being carried out and affecting routes through London Euston, London Liverpool Street and on the Elizabeth Line. 

While Brits trying to jet back from Portugal are facing misery as they described 'carnage' at Faro International Airport as staff shortages cause three-hour long delays. 

The threat of floods across the country has already raised fears they could cause Easter travel chaos today  on the roads with two warnings and 96 alerts in place across England. 

Motorists have been advised to head out on the roads later this evening with the heaviest rain expected to fall in the corridor from the southwest of England and up to East Anglia, reports Sky News, causing difficult driving conditions. 

Forecasters said there is a risk of hail and thunder late today.

The RAC warned ahead of the Easter break it 'could be carmageddon' and said heavy traffic and 'lengthy queues can be expected along routes to the usual hotspots'. 

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

Drivers are urged 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.

The showers could bring between 5mm and 15mm of rainfall, forecasters said.

Meanwhile, in Portugal travellers claimed they have endured three-hour delays at Faro International Airport, alleging that e-Gates malfunctions and a lack of information from airlines.

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. 

A Portuguese police source claimed the disruptions at Faro airport were an 'occurrence of a peak in passenger arrivals' and noted the 'situation is already normalising', according to local reports.

The travel chaos comes as staycationers back home in the UK are enduring lengthy waits on traffic-clogged motorways.

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.