Britons hoping for a sizzling hot Easter weekend may feel a chill instead - as new maps show a -3C Polar blast freezing Europe on Saturday. The UK already has two Met Office yellow warnings for rain in force from Friday through into Saturday, one for the South-west of England/ South Wales and another for Northern Ireland.

But these new alarming European weather maps by WXCharts.com show how Easter Saturday on the continent will be a chilly affair - with northern Spain waking to a Polar -3C (26.6F) icy freeze. And it will come as a warning to any Brits planning on jetting abroad this weekend in search of Easter sun and heat.

Easter travellers in the UK have already been warned of train and motorway chaos, with 19 million set to hit UK roads over Easter's four days.

The two yellow warning covers parts of south-west England and South Wales on Good Friday until 9am Saturday, where up to 75mm (3in) could fall, other places will also see wet weather.

Areas affected include Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Plymouth, Somerset, Torbay, Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Merthyr Tydfil, Monmouthshire, Newport, Rhondda Cynon Taf and Torfaen.

A second warning for Northern Ireland until 2pm on Saturday covers County Antrim and County Down.

Deputy Chief Meteorologist Steven Keates revealed: "The Easter weekend is set to bring changeable weather for many. Some areas may experience near-dry conditions all weekend, whilst others may see heavy rain. We are keeping a close eye on an area of low pressure which sinks away to the south on Friday. This could bring with it some heavy, and possibly even disruptive rain for parts of southwest England, and also parts of Northern Ireland and south Wales.

"This will bring the potential for some difficult travelling conditions, with a lot of spray on the roads, and it’s important people keep an eye on our forecast as things evolve over the coming day or so."

RAC spokesperson Alice Simpson said: "If the heavy rain expected in the west country and south Wales on Good Friday becomes a reality, many drivers may have their journeys disrupted as they set off for day trips and long weekends.

"It’s vital to plan ahead and be prepared for trips to take longer because of the wet weather and the expected getaway congestion. With an estimated 6.2 million people undecided exactly when they’ll travel, the big question is whether any sign of sun leads to big jams on a single day. Whatever happens, it’s wise to travel as early as possible or later in the day when most of the traffic has eased."

Steven Keates added: "The low will pull away to the south on Saturday, although the speed and time of the clearance is rather uncertain at the moment.

"Some rain may linger across parts of the west/southwest but elsewhere, many parts will enjoy some sunny spells, with light winds and temperatures around average.

"Easter Sunday looks to be the widely drier day of the weekend. Cloud amounts will vary, but most places should see some bright or sunny spells at times.

"Parts of the far south and west may remain cloudier with a few showers around. Temperatures look generally close to the seasonal average.

"Things probably turn a little more unsettled again on Monday, with outbreaks of rain/showers in the south and west, tending to spread northwards and perhaps becoming heavy at times, though there is currently a lot of uncertainty in the details."

Easter Monday will bring sunny spells, heavy downpours in places, and the chance of thunder. However, the mercury will only reach 10-18C (50-64F), with the highest values likely in south-east England.