Britain's great summer getaway begins: 3.4million drivers hit the roads and 7,000 cars are set to pass through Dover as UK heatwave hits two weeks after 30 days without rain

Britain's drivers face the busiest summer getaway in four years with more than three million hitting the roads today and 7,000 cars passing through the Port of Dover.Many schools in England and Wales break up for the summer holidays this afternoon with families set to enjoy more warm and dry weather over the coming week.The third heatwave of the year has now hit the two-week mark as the Met Office confirmed yesterday was a 12th straight day of temperatures exceeding 30C.But the very dry weather has also continued with some areas now having had no rain for a whole month - and no downpours in the forecast for the next week.The RAC estimates 14.1million motorists will embark on journeys for holidays or day trips between today and Sunday – the second highest total in records back to 2016.Tomorrow is expected to be the busiest day on the roads for getaway journeys, with 3.8million planned. Today and Sunday will each see an estimated 3.4million.A further 3.4million trips will be spread across the three-day period with drivers unsure which exact day they will hit the road, according to the motoring group.The Port of Dover in Kent is expecting 7,000 cars to pass through today, although the processing time for tourist traffic in the Buffer Zone at 9am was only 12 minutes. Holiday traffic builds at the Port of Dover in Kent this morning as British families head to France While the heatwave is officially expected to end at 14 days after today, the grip of the long and hot summer is set to last for at least seven to ten more days.Met Office spokesman Graham Madge said: 'The settled and fine conditions people are currently enjoying look locked in for the next seven to 10 days and are likely to remain strong.'This weekend will see plenty of sunshine and dry weather, although there may be a few isolated showers and a dip in temperatures. UK's summer getaway congestion hotspots Transport analytics company Inrix said congestion hotspots during the summer getaway are likely to include:The M1 southbound from Junction 16 (Northampton) to Junction 6 (Watford);The M25 clockwise from Junction 15 (the M4) to Junction 19 (Watford);The M25 anticlockwise from Junction 17 (Maple Cross) to Junction 12 (the M3);The M60 clockwise from Junction 7 (Altrincham) to Junction 18 (the M62); andThe M4 westbound from Junction 22 (Severn Crossing) to Junction 35 (Bridgend). Forecasters have said it is too soon to say whether the heatwave conditions will last beyond the next ten days and towards the end of July.David Hayter, the Met Office's deputy chief meteorologist, said: 'The high pressure, which has brought this prolonged fine spell, will continue for the next week or so at least, but will shift enough to enable a more northerly flow that will introduce a cooler feel that will end the run of 30C days.'However, we are still likely to see some locations remain in heatwave conditions to finish the week.'Whether the current heatwave continues will depend on whether there are more consecutive days of temperatures above 28C in London, or 25C to 27C for the rest of the country.London is set to reach 25C tomorrow, meaning it looks likely the heatwave in the capital will officially end after today - when 29C is forecast.The weather has been extremely dry in recent weeks, with some places in southern England such as Wisley in Surrey having had no rainfall for 30 days.Herstmonceux in East Sussex has had no rain for 28 days; while it has been dry for 24 days in parts of Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Hampshire and London.Mr Hayter added: 'July and August are the main months in the UK for heatwaves.'Having had three significant heatwaves in the UK already this year and very little rainfall for many, dry soils could provide less resistance to daytime heating, again challenging heatwave criteria into the second half of the summer.'Temperatures in the UK yesterday peaked at 30.6C at Merryfield in Somerset, making it the 12th day in a row when 30C has been exceeded somewhere in the country.There were 18 consecutive days of 30C-plus temperatures in 1976, when drought conditions damaged crops, scorched landscapes and forced people to use standpipes in the street.There have now been 27 days in 2026, consecutive and non-consecutive, when 30C has been exceeded somewhere in the UK: seven in May, eight in June and 12 in July.The record for the number of 30C-plus days in a calendar year is 34, which was set in 1995.It comes as Britons have so far coped with a sweltering summer of above-average temperatures and persistently warm nights.England has been particularly warm, with mean temperatures currently 2.4C above the average 21C that could be expected.The Met Office said Wales is sitting 2.2C above an average of around 19.3C, and while Scotland and Northern Ireland have remained closer to their seasonal norms of 17.3C and 18.6C, they are still running above average at 0.9C and 1.3C respectively.Met Office science manager Amy Doherty said: 'We're only halfway through summer, yet 2026 has already delivered more days above 30C than the whole of 1976 and become the first year on record to reach 35C in May, June and July.'What stands out most, however, is that the warmth has not been confined to the daytime, with overnight temperatures tracking at record levels for this stage of the season. The heatwave threshold is defined as three consecutive days at or above a set temperature 'The high humidity so far this summer has also been unusual, making conditions particularly uncomfortable. Taken together, these statistics make 2026 one of the most remarkable starts to a UK summer in our records.'Meanwhile firefighters are spending a third day tackling a major wildfire which has led to evacuations in the Cairngorms.The fire started in heathland at Ryvoan Bothy, near Nethy Bridge, late on Wednesday morning and spread to cover an area of around six kilometres by yesterday afternoon.A number of homes and businesses, including campsites and ski resorts in the Glenmore Forest Park area, have been closed and evacuated as a safety precaution.Firefighters worked through the night tackling the blaze and six fire engines and specialist resources remained at the scene this morning. There have been no reports of any casualties.Crews say they are facing a 'protracted incident' as they seek to prevent the flames spreading to other areas, but that they have 'adequate resources' to deal with the incident.It follows the persistent hot and dry weather in many parts of the UK which has led to other wildfires breaking out amid an 'exceptionally' high risk.