THE last day of the Spring mini-heatwave yesterday left motorists hot under the collar as they sat in long queues, and saw firefighters struggling to contain moorland blazes sparked by the tinder-dry weather.

It turned out to be a long Good Friday for those travelling on the A1(M), where a queue of more than six miles built up at Scotch Corner. Day-trippers heading for the East Coast resorts of Whitby and Scarborough also found the roads clogged.

A North Yorkshire Police spokesman said: "There is a big volume of Bank Holiday traffic and people will have to be patient."

They were all making the most of the last day of the unseasonably warm spell as forecasters have warned that today will bring more traditional Bank Holiday weather.

By tomorrow, the region is expected to be hit by wind and rain.

Fire chiefs hope the change in the weather helps dampen down the moorland blazes.

A grass fire at Barrow Fell in the Newlands valley, near Keswick in the Lake District, was still burning last night more than 36-hours after it began - despite helicopters dropping water bombs.

Dozens of houses in Gwent were evacuated as firefighters battled a blaze in south Wales. In Ayrshire, 12 square miles were ablaze. In Dorset, five people had to be rescued by helicopter from a forest fire.

And last night, more than 120 firefighters were tackling a major common blaze near Woking, Surrey.

There was a small grass fire on the Eston Hills near Cleveland, and six small fires in Northumberland.

More victims of the hot weather were to be found in Hartlepool where RSPCA officers said more than 50 seagulls had died after eating decomposing food which had developed botulism in the heat.

AA Roadwatch said the change in temperatures would ease the situation on the road. "We are expecting average Saturday traffic," said a spokesman last night.

"There may be a build-up again on Monday as people head home, but it is unlikely to be as busy as it has been today because of the weather."

North Yorkshire Police hope that the drop in temperature will also cool down the "born again bikers" who speed around the Dales and Moors.

There have been six deaths already in the county this year, and last week there were serious accidents at Aysgarth Falls, in Wensleydale, and at Selside.