WITH temperatures expected to hit a balmy 20 degrees this weekend, Hampshire could well be warmer than Athens in Greece or even the Morrocan holiday resort of Marrakech.

While temperatures are set to go through the roof, roads are likely to grind to a halt. The Easter road rush will coincide with roadworks on the Redbridge Causeway and junction 3 of the M27, as well as the usual notorious bottlenecks in Lyndhurst.

Rail passengers are also facing a weekend of travelling misery.

Network Rail has started work on a £130m resignalling project in the Basingstoke area which is expected to create long delays.

More than 90 buses will be drafted in to compensate for the disruptions, which could see trains to London take an hour longer than normal.

Meanwhile Southampton Airport was one of the busiest places in the region as the great Easter exodus began. It was preparing to set new records for the long weekend with more people than ever choosing to fly away for a much-needed break.

More than 33,000 holidaymakers are expected to travel through the airport for the holidays.

Many travellers are also taking advantage of the long weekend by visiting friends and relatives in places such as Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester, Jersey, Guernsey and Dublin.

Easter eggs may be carried in hand luggage, providing they fit into the one permitted bag or they can be put in hand luggage to be checked-in.

Passengers should allow at least one hour to check-in and those arriving by public transport should check for timetable changes.