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Monday in Oxfordshire: A Three-Stop Morning Brief Before You Leave the House
The short answer: Monday 5 October is dry and mild across Oxford, with a Met Office high of 22°C and almost no chance of rain. The pinch point is Abingdon. Oxford Bus Company is warning of significant delays and some cancellations on Abingdon and A34 routes this morning, and Michaelmas Fair road closures stay in place until 9am on Wednesday. If you catch a bus through Abingdon, allow extra time or check the live service updates before you leave.
Stop 1: The weather
The Met Office forecast for Oxford, updated at 5:59am, has sunny intervals all day. It is about 14°C at 8am, reaching 20°C by noon and a high of 22°C in the afternoon. The chance of rain stays below 5% every hour from 8am to 11pm. Gusts peak at about 21mph, UV is moderate (3) and the Met Office rates air pollution as low. Sunrise is at 07:13 and sunset at 18:33.
Make the most of it, because the week turns. Tuesday is forecast at 21°C with sunny intervals. Wednesday drops to a high of 13°C with light rain, and the hourly chance of rain reaches 90% on Wednesday morning. A coat for Wednesday's commute looks sensible.
Stop 2: Travel
Abingdon, Didcot and the A34. A live Oxford Bus Company and Thames Travel notice covers today from 07:32 to 13:30. It blames heavier traffic on the B4017 in Abingdon because of the fair, plus delays on the A34 southbound. Services through Abingdon and on the A34 are expected to run with significant delays, and some departures will be fully or partly cancelled. Routes listed: 6, 33, 41, 44, 45, BB1, BB1A, ST1, X2, X3, X15 and X32.
Oxford city centre. Queen Street is closed for roadworks until 17:30 on 26 October, according to the same service update page. The 3, 3A and 6 divert via Castle Street, Norfolk Street, Speedwell Street and St Aldates. The 8 terminates at Speedwell Street and starts again from the Police Station stop (P2). The X2, X15 and X40 cannot serve St Aldates while the diversion is in place.
Witney. Until 9 October, closures on Market Square and Welch Way mean the 19, 64, H2 and X9 terminate at and depart from Langdale Gate, says Oxford Bus.
Rail. We could not get a reliable live status from GWR this morning, so we are not reporting delays we have not checked. Look at live departures for Oxford on National Rail before you set off. For the weekends ahead, Chiltern Railways says RMT industrial action is planned for Saturday 10 and Saturday 17 October, in a dispute over the first stage of East West Rail between Oxford and Milton Keynes. Chiltern expects the normal number of trains into and out of Marylebone, but two long-distance trains will start or terminate at Banbury, and no rail replacement buses will run.
Stop 3: One local thing to know
Abingdon's Michaelmas Fair is in town until Wednesday morning. According to Oxford Bus Company, several roads in Abingdon town centre are closed from 07:00 on Sunday 4 October until 09:00 on Wednesday 7 October. All of its services through the town centre are diverted until then:
- X3 and 6 towards Abingdon terminate at Our Lady's Convent, with drop-offs along Radley Road (X3) or Oxford Road (6).
- X2, 41, 43, BB1 and BB1A divert via Bath Street, Faringdon Road and Spring Road in both directions. Use the stops at Bath Street and Godwyn Close.
- X15 diverts via Faringdon Road and Spring Road in both directions.
- 33, 44, 45 and X35 also divert, with Abingdon-bound journeys terminating at Bath Street.
More Abingdon routes are on our Abingdon coverage page.
Before you go
Dry today and tomorrow, wet on Wednesday. Check your bus if it goes through Abingdon or on the A34, and expect Queen Street diversions in Oxford. Our travel and weather pages collect the official sources we check each morning.
Frequently asked questions
Will it rain in Oxford on Monday 5 October 2026?
Very unlikely. The Met Office forecast for Oxford, updated at 5:59am, gives a chance of rain below 5% for every hour from 8am to 11pm, with sunny intervals and a high of 22°C.
Are buses in Abingdon delayed this morning?
Yes. Oxford Bus Company and Thames Travel warn of significant delays from 07:32 to 13:30 on routes through Abingdon and the A34, including the 6, 33, 41, 44, 45, BB1, BB1A, ST1, X2, X3, X15 and X32, with some departures fully or partly cancelled.
When do the Abingdon Michaelmas Fair road closures end?
Oxford Bus Company says roads in Abingdon town centre are closed from 07:00 on 4 October until 09:00 on Wednesday 7 October 2026, with bus diversions in place until then.
Is Chiltern Railways affected by strikes in October 2026?
RMT industrial action is planned for Saturday 10 and Saturday 17 October. Chiltern Railways says the normal number of trains will run into and out of London Marylebone, but the 06:44 Stourbridge Junction to Marylebone will start at Banbury and the 19:32 Marylebone to Stourbridge Junction will terminate at Banbury.