TODAY is expected to be the busiest day on Britain's roads so far this year as tens of thousands of people set off for their Easter break, a traffic information company has warned.

Trafficmaster predicts bank holiday getaway journeys mixed with commuter traffic today will lead to the heaviest congestion of the weekend.

Drivers have been urged to consider delaying their journey until the afternoon of Good Friday, when traffic is expected to be relatively quiet.

Among the busiest roads today will be all of the M3, the A31 through the New Forest and the A303 in north Hampshire.

There will be disruption on the railways due to an extensive ongoing programme of track works in Southampton.

Southampton Airport expects to see 35,000 to pass through its doors during the Easter weekend.

The airport is gearing up the seasonal getaway with passengers opting for long weekend city breaks, end-of-season ski breaks or sunshine.

Popular holiday destinations are the Costa Blanca, the Algarve and the Costa del Sol, it says.

However, the airport has also found that ski resorts ski resorts in Chambery, Geneva and Grenoble have been attracting many visitors over the Easter holidays as the ski season draws to a close.

Other top Easter routes of choice for Southampton passengers include Edinburgh, Glasgow, Newcastle, Leeds, Belfast, Dublin and the Channel Islands.

Tomorrow is forecast to bring the best weather of the Easter break, with dry and sunny skies across the UK.

Bill Payne, a forecaster for MeteoGroup, said: ''Although today will be very warm, with highs of 18 degrees, it will turn cloudier throughout the day.

''It means Good Friday will be the nicest day of the Easter break - although a little cooler, it will be dry and bright everywhere.

''There will be a few showers around on Saturday but the weather really changes on Easter Sunday and becomes quite unsettled. There will be some heavy rain in England and Wales with showers lasting into Monday.”