THE weather looks set to dampen spirits for those staying in the county this bank holiday weekend while a rail strike could make it difficult for those trying to get away.

First Great Western has warned of a three-day strike from today by RMT union members, which will result in only 70 per cent of rail services running on Sunday and Monday.

The company said only the service from Worcester to Oxford will be running over the weekend, which will affect those attempting to get to the Reading Festival.

Oxford Bus Company said it would be putting on additional park-and-ride services on its 300 and 400 routes and Stagecoach said it would be allocating additional resources to cope with the demand.

Last night, traffic was building on major routes out of Oxford as people started the bank holiday getaway, with the A34 from the Hinksey interchange, Botley Road, Abingdon Road all congested.

The weather picture was not much better, with Nicola Maxey, spokeswoman for the Met Office, saying: “Saturday is looking quite cloudy but it will be a dry day for the most part.

“We have put out a weather warning due to heavy showers making their way across the country, but it looks as if the county will avoid showers until the late afternoon and evening.”

Temperatures are expected to reach 18C.

On Sunday, frequent, light showers are expected, with cloud overhead, while Sunday will see sunshine and temperatures of up to 19C.