Motorists have been warned to brace themselves for 'Glastonbury Gridlock' as festival-goers generate seven times the normal volume of traffic in the area.

Journey times on some routes will double, with the most disruption on local roads expected to be when people leave the event on Monday.

Residents are warned to expect heightened traffic volumes between Wednesday, June 21, and Friday, June 23, with congestion in the area predicted to peak on Wednesday, particularly around junctions 25 and 23 of the M5. The A39, a primary access route in past years, is forecasted to see significant congestion by mid-morning.

A second wave of traffic increase is anticipated on Monday, June 26, as festival-goers leave the site, which might cause disruptions for locals starting their workweek. By 4pm on Monday, we can expect traffic volumes to be seven times higher than normal.

Any journey on an A road in the area around Glastonbury is likely to take double the normal time on Monday afternoon and drivers can expect considerable delays on the more minor roads away from the site to extend journey times even further.

According to INRIX the best time to leave the festival site on Monday is 6am - with 4pm the worst time for drivers to start the journey home.

John Ingram, National Highways' Emergency Planner for the South West, highlights the need for locals to plan ahead. "The influx of about 200,000 festival attendees is expected to cause notable congestion on roads leading to the event. Our goal is to minimise disruption to local communities while ensuring the safety of both festival-goers and residents," he said

Ingram recommends that local residents prepare for potential delays, start their journeys early and stay updated with traffic information to navigate around the congested areas.

He also advises motorists to pre-check their vehicles for oil, fuel and coolant levels, inflate their tyres correctly, and carry plenty of drinking water, considering the warm weather predicted for the week.

Local residents can access real-time traffic updates on www.trafficengland.com or on m.highways.gov.uk from a mobile device when not driving.

Regular updates will also be available on local radio and the Twitter account @HighwaysSWEST.

For further advice on summer travelling, residents can visit: https://nationalhighways.co.uk/road-safety/travelling-in-severe-weather/travelling-in-summer/