Fylde coast drivers warned over petrol price rise due to hurricane

The RAC predicted that forecourt prices could rise by up to 4p per litre in the coming days because of the shutdown of large refineries on the Gulf Coast of the US.

This would take the average price above £1.21 per litre, making unleaded more expensive than diesel for the first time in over a year.

RAC spokesman Pete Williams said: “This will be the first time unleaded has been higher than diesel since June 2016.

"We expect this to be the case for some time to come, or at least until the US oil industry is able to get refineries back into operation and production in the Gulf Coast returns to normal to meet the United States’ immense appetite for gasoline.

“One quarter of the refining capacity in the States remains offline. Americans are now having to buy more unleaded from overseas.