New Year’s Eve celebrations across the UK have been cancelled as the country braces for a wet and windy start to 2025.
Outdoor events planned for 31 December as part of Edinburgh’s Hogmanay will not take place, while celebrations on the 30th were also cancelled.
A spokesperson said events in the city centre of the Scottish capital, including fireworks from the castle, are unable to go ahead “on the grounds of public safety” due to “high winds and inclement weather”.
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Meanwhile, organisers of a planned fireworks display in Blackpool said it has also been cancelled due to the weather.
Visit Blackpool said only the pyrotechnics have been affected, with the rest of the New Year’s Eve Family Party to continue as planned, including free ice skating and a projection light show.
Weather warnings in place for 31 December. Pic: Met Office
Another fireworks event in Ripon, North Yorkshire, also succumbed to the weather, with the council posting on Facebook that the event planned to take place in the city’s Market Square could not go ahead due to high winds.
While a homemade boat race in Poole in Dorset, a sea dip in Lyme Regis in the same south coast county, as well as fireworks displays on the Isle of Wight and on Newcastle’s Quayside, were all cancelled on Tuesday morning.
In the capital, London’s City Hall said it is “monitoring the weather” ahead of tonight’s celebrations.
Preparations continue for the New Year’s Eve fireworks display in central London. Pic: PA
It is understood there are currently no plans to cancel any New Year’s Eve events in London, which includes the annual fireworks display at the London Eye on the South Bank of the River Thames.
Rain, wind and snow warnings
Four separate weather warnings cover Scotland on Tuesday alone, including an amber warning for rain covering the regions of Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey.
The Met Office said showers are expected to continue into the afternoon, with an additional 50-70mm of rain to fall.
The Scottish Environmental Protection Agency did downgrade the risk of flooding in Highlands communities after less rain fell overnight than expected, but 31 warnings and 10 flood alerts remain in place at the time of writing on Tuesday morning.
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Hogmanay event cancelled
Flood warnings were also issued for parts of North Yorkshire, where high tides and strong winds are expected to cause large waves. A further 11 flood alerts have been issued in England by the Environment Agency.
Glasgow and Edinburgh are also under a yellow warning for wind until 11pm, which the Met Office said could bring delays to road, rail, air and ferry transport.
Train operator ScotRail warned its services were being disrupted by speed restrictions due to “very heavy rainfall”.
At least 11 lines have been affected, according to the ScotRail website, and 18 trains were cancelled on Tuesday morning.
Network Rail said it closed the Highland Main Line at Kingussie because of “more extreme rainfall overnight”.
A yellow warning for rain and snow covering nearly the whole of the country is in place until midnight, while a warning for snow covers Orkney.
1 January weather warnings. Pic: Met Office
Parts of northern England are covered by a yellow warning for wind from 7am until 11pm on New Year’s Eve, with a separate wind warning covering Northern Ireland from 6am until 2pm.
A 24-hour yellow warning for rain will also come into force across much of Wales and northwest England from 6pm on Tuesday.
‘Tricky couple of days’
As the clock strikes midnight in the UK, separate warnings for wind and rain are in place for Wednesday.
Winds of up to 60mph are forecast across much of England and Wales all day on 1 January, with gusts of 75mph likely around coastal areas and hills, according to the Met Office.
A warning for snow and ice is in place for 2 January. Pic: Met Office
The forecaster said the “whole of the UK will experience a change to colder conditions” on Thursday, with temperatures expected to fall below freezing, with the possibility of reaching minus double digits in some areas of Scotland.
A yellow weather warning for snow and ice comes into force from midnight until 9am on 2 January across parts of the Scottish Highlands.
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Met Office meteorologist Craig Snell said: “It will be a tricky couple of days and a wet and windy spell for many up into the new year.
“We’re encouraging anyone who is planning to travel to keep up to date with the weather forecast and news from their local authorities.”