Britain is braced for the quietest spring bank holiday getaway on record as drivers avoid roads during lockdown.
A poll by the RAC suggested 9.4 million leisure journeys will be made by car this weekend, down from 16.8 million last year.
It is the lowest level the motoring firm has recorded since its bank holiday survey began in 2014.
But the findings will offer small comfort to the seaside resorts that were flooded with tourists on Wednesday, the hottest day of the year so far.
Sun worshippers crammed beaches in Bournemouth, Dorset, and Southend, Essex, while council officers ran out of parking tickets on seafronts north Devon, where coastal roads were "gridlocked".
Tourism bosses have pleaded with Brits to stay away from honeypots this weekend.
But according to the RAC survey, 68 per cent of the 1,500 UK drivers questioned do not expect to drive for recreational purposes between Friday and Monday.
While 15 per cent of respondents said they plan on driving no more than 10 miles for leisure, with 8 per cent taking trips of between 11 and 30 miles.
The appetite for a lengthier journey is small, with just 3 per cent of people driving more than 30 miles.
Police have handed out over 14,000 fines to lockdown flouters, with officers forced to turn away Londoners at the Scottish border.
Forces in Devon said Brits had travelled “from all over the country” for day trips earlier this week and the car park at Saunton Sands beach was described as "like August".
In Newquay, Cornwall, police carried out dawn raids on visitors in campervans who had parked up to stay overnight in the town.
The weekend is set to see a mixture of rain and bright sunshine across the UK.
The Met Office said Saturday and Sunday will be warm with scattered showers, with highs of 18C.
But most of the UK will experience glorious sunshine on Monday with temperatures soaring to 26C.
The Prime Minister slightly eased some of the country's lockdown rules on May 10 and, while Brits can drive unlimited distances to other destinations, they have been told not to stay overnight at a holiday home or second home.
RAC spokesman Rod Dennis said people were “much keener to stay at home than pack the car up for a day trip”.
He added: “This weekend will be anything but a traditional sunny bank holiday weekend, and in fact nationally it could turn out to be the quietest on the motorways and major roads ever.
“There will still almost certainly be jams on local roads leading to beaches, country parks and other beauty spots, probably made up of people who live within very easy reach of these destinations."
