Drivers are being warned of massive delays as the M25 shuts in both directions this weekend in an unprecedented move.
The closure between junctions 10 and 11 in Surrey on the UK’s busiest motorway could cause chaos.
Daryl Jordan, of Woking Borough Council, said Byfleet Road, which is close to junction 10, had been “chock-a-block” on Friday afternoon.
“It is pulling people apart,” he added.
“When you work full-time and then you’re going to get home tonight from work thinking ‘I must fill the fridge up’ and you can’t even get into your own village. It’s going to be a nightmare.”
But, how long will the section be shut, where are the diversion routes and why is it happening? Here’s everything you need to know.
When is the closure and how long will it last?
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The closure started at 9pm on Friday 15 March and the section will be shut until 6am on Monday 18 March, covering the five-mile stretch between junction 10 and 11.
What is the diversion route?
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Here’s the diversion route that’s been outlined by National Highways, which maintains England’s motorways:
Junction 10 to junction 11: Northbound A3 to Painshill Junction, A245 towards Woking, and then A320 to M25 junction 11
Junction 11 to junction 10: A320 south towards Woking, A245 towards Byfleet and Painshill junction, Southbound A3 to junction 10.
You can see it on the map below:
And here are some Google Maps screenshots showing roads that are part of the diversion route:
Satnav warnings
Drivers are being urged to ignore satnavs and only follow official diversion routes to prevent causing gridlock during an “unprecedented” closure.
Jonathan Wade, National Highways project lead, said the amount of disruption will partly depend on whether drivers stick to official diversions.
“How many people are going to take the initiative and try and use satnavs?”, he told PA news agency.
“There’s probably a greater risk of congestion by people just doing their own thing and thinking they can perhaps beat the signs and find a shorter or quicker route.
“That will cause further congestion on some of the key junctions so please avoid doing that if at all possible.”
National Highways senior project manager Daniel Kittredge said: “If people move away from diversion routes that we prescribe, it creates additional issues in different parts of the road network.
“The majority of the time that will be local roads, so that really impacts residents in those particular areas.
“That’s why we’re trying to encourage people to not follow the satnav.
“Stick on the prescribed diversion route. It’s going to be more suitable for your journey.”
How bad could it be?
It’s the first scheduled daytime all-lanes shutdown on the M25 since it opened, so it’s not yet known exactly how bad delays are going to be.
This section of the M25 normally carries between 4,000 and 6,000 vehicles in each direction per hour from 10am until 9pm at weekends, so the disruption caused by the works is expected to be significant.
More than 200,000 vehicles are expected to be affected, including many travelling in and out of London, and to and from Heathrow and Gatwick airports and Channel ports.
What advice has been issued?
“Drivers should only use the M25 if their journey is absolutely necessary,” says Jonathan Wade, National Highways project lead.
“This is the first of five full closures of one of the busiest junctions on our road network,” he adds.
“We have spent months planning for these closures and making sure there are diversion routes in place, but there will still be heavy congestion and delays.”
‘Motorists should decorate the bathroom’
The government-owned company’s chief also advises motorists to find something to do at home like “decorate the bathroom” or “play in the garden” ahead of the closure.
Mr Wade says how well the area copes with the closure will partly depend on whether drivers stick to official diversions – but urges people to avoid travelling altogether.
“Avoid the area totally if you can,” he told The Independent’s daily travel podcast.
“Either avoid travelling completely or find something to do at home, decorate the bathroom or something, I don’t know, or play in the garden.
“If you must go, travel by train, walk, use your bicycle.
“If you can, avoid driving anywhere around those diversionary routes.”
Airport warnings
People due to travel to Gatwick and Heathrow could also be affected by the closure.
Heathrow Airport is advising passengers planning to use this part of the M25 to allow for extra time before their flight.
“Passengers using public transport should also be aware that The Airline (between Heathrow and Gatwick) and RailAir (RA2), will be running amended timetables over this weekend, please check with your operator for the latest information,” their statement adds.
A London Gatwick Airport spokesperson told Sky News: “Passengers driving to the airport are advised to check diversion routes before they travel and allow extra time for potential delays.
“Gatwick’s train station is well connected and is a great alternative option for people travelling to the airport this weekend.”
‘You ain’t seen nothing yet’
Steve Gooding, director of motoring research charity the RAC Foundation, says: “For drivers who’ve already had their patience tried by the queues at the junction 10 works, the phrase ‘you ain’t seen nothing yet’ springs to mind.”
“National Highways’ plea for people to avoid driving in the area applies not just to trips on the M25, but also to those on surrounding local roads onto which the M25 traffic will be diverted,” he adds.
“The hope must be that drivers take great care, however frustrating the delays and disruption might be.
“The last thing we need is shunts or crashes, however minor, because the slightest mishap will compound the misery.”
Government-owned company National Highways said the action is necessary to enable a bridge to be demolished and a new gantry to be installed as part of a £317m improvement project.
National Highways says the project will increase the number of lanes and make it easier to enter and exit the M25 at junction 10, which is one of the UK’s busiest and most dangerous motorway junctions.
“These improvements will bring long-term benefits to drivers who pass through this stretch of the M25, not to mention pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders who will also see positive changes in the area,” says its project lead Jonathan Wade.
Is the closure a one-off?
No – it’s just one of five planned full closures between the junctions. The other dates have not yet been confirmed.
“Three of those closures will be between junctions 10 and 11 – the A320 at Chertsey… and two of them will be between junction 9 at Leatherhead to junction 10 at Wisley,” Mr Wade said.
He said the dates of the later stages would be released in due course with motorists given plenty of notice.
“We will not just spring them on people,” he said, adding they would take place between May and December.
The project began in summer 2022 and is expected to last three years in total.
Davina McCall has said her short-term memory is “a bit remiss” as she recovers from brain tumour surgery.
Speaking from her bed, the visibly emotional TV presenterposted a short video updating her Instagram followers on her condition, saying it had been a “mad” time.
She expressed an “enormous heartfelt thank you” to people who had messaged her after she revealed this month she had a benign brain tumour, a colloid cyst, which she described as “very rare”.
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Looking bright, but with a visibly bruised left eye, McCall said: “My short-term memory is a bit remiss.
“But that is something I can work on, so I’m really happy about that. I’m writing everything down, to keep myself feeling safe.”
She added: “It’s been mad, and it’s just really nice to be back home, I’m on the other side.”
In a message posted with the video, she reiterated her thanks for all the support she has received, adding: “Had a great night’s sleep in my own bed. Have a couple of sleeps during the day which keeps my brain clear… Slowly, slowly…”
When she first shared her diagnosis, she said chances of having it were “three in a million” and that she had discovered it several months previously after a company offered her a health scan in return for giving a menopause talk.
The 57-year-old star said support from her fans had “meant the world”.
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She said she was being “brilliantly looked after” by her partner, hairdresser Michael Douglas, and her stepmother, Gabby, who she calls mum.
Becoming tearful, the presenter said: “I’d quickly like to say big up the stepmums. I don’t really say thank you to Gabby enough. She’s been an amazing rock my whole life.”
McCall was estranged from her birth mother, Florence McCall, who died in 2008.
With a catch in her voice, McCall went on: “I’ve got a massive dose of vitamin G – I’m just really grateful. I’ve always been really lucky in my life, but I feel unbelievably grateful right now. So, thanks for everything, all of you.
“I’m on the mend, I’m resting and sleeping loads and I feel really good. I’m just very lucky.”
Stars including presenter Alison Hammond, singer Craig David and radio host Zoe Ball quickly shared their delight at the positive update.
McCall rose to fame presenting on MTV in the mid-1990s, and later on Channel 4’s Streetmate, before becoming a household name as the host of Big Brother from 2000 to 2010.
She’s gone on to present programmes across the networks, the most recent being ITV dating show My Mum, Your Dad.
Last year, McCall was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2023 Birthday Honours for services to broadcasting.
Married twice, McCall has three children, two daughters and a son, with her second husband, presenter Matthew Robertson.
She has lived with Douglas since 2022, and they present a weekly lifestyle podcast together, Making The Cut.
In central Scotland, wind speeds of 50-60mph are likely, and gusts up to 70mph could be felt near the coast and on exposed bridges.
Met Office chief meteorologist Andy Page said that while the risk of snowfall had now diminished, rainfall would “affect much of the UK”.
Frequent showers are expected in Northern Ireland, northern England, Wales and the West Country, with the heaviest expected in southwestern parts of England and South Wales.
Mr Page said weather warnings “could still be amended” and possibly at short notice, and urged people to “keep up to date with the very latest forecast”.
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Sky News meteorologist Christopher England warns there could be a risk of hail and thunder in northern Scotland, at the start of the week.
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Storm Bert causes flooding in Wales
As of Monday morning, there were hundreds of flood warnings and alerts in place. Three of those – two in Wales and one in England – were “severe warnings”.
A further 160 flood warnings and more than 200 flood alerts were issued by the Environment Agency in England, and eight flood warnings and 23 flood alerts in place in Wales at the time of writing.
Bert to clear UK by Tuesday
By Tuesday, Storm Bert will finally clear the UK, the Met Office said, bringing with it “quieter weather for many”.
However, parts of the country may not be without rain or wind for long, as the forecaster says strong gusts and rainfall could start again on Tuesday night and into Wednesday.
“How long the more settled conditions last is uncertain, with rain probably returning to westernmost areas at least by the end of the week,” the Met Office website says.
Chris England adds: “Wednesday will bring strong winds and a spell of heavy rain across the south, while the north looks mostly fine after a frosty and foggy start in places.
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Woman loses umbrella to Storm Bert
“Thursday looks cool again, but mostly fine. Friday will be milder, with outbreaks of rain likely over Ireland, Northern Ireland and north-west Scotland.”
He says going into the weekend, Saturday “looks cloudy and breezy in the north and west, with a little rain possible at times”.
When could the next named storm be?
Storm Bert was the second named storm of the season after Storm Ashley brought similar wet and windy conditions towards the end of October.
Although it cannot be known for sure when the next storm will be, the Met Office already knows it will be referred to as Storm Conall. The forecaster names storms in alphabetical order.
It says it only names a storm when it has the “potential to cause disruption or damage which could result in an amber or red warning” and according to its long range forecast, this could be as soon as next month.
It says that between 9 and 23 December, “there are signs” there will be wetter and windier interludes with a risk of snow, adding: “These conditions look more likely to dominate towards the middle of December.”
Whether this will be strong enough for a storm to be named remains unknown.
Microsoft has said it is “investigating an issue” after users reported problems with Outlook and Teams.
In a post on X, Microsoft365 Status said: “We’re investigating an issue impacting users attempting to access Exchange Online or functionality within Microsoft Teams calendar.”
Microsoft Exchange Online is a platform for business communication that has a mail server and cloud apps for email, contacts, and calendars.
Down Detector, a website that tracks outages, said problems started at approximately 8am on Monday morning.
It said 87% of reported problems involved Outlook, when the email application is accessed through the web.
Other reported problems, according to Down Detector, included connection to the server and logging in.
Users from the UK and around, Europe took to social media to report they were having problems accessing the platform.
One user wrote: “When you need to check an important mail, but #outlook decides to not work…”
While another added: “Here in Belgium mainly issues with tracking of e-mail in Dynamics 365. Inbound and outbound in Outlook still work.”
Microsoft directed affected users to its admin centre, a page that is intended for those who have access to business networks and other professionals who manage IT networks. The page requires a login.