Hogmanay celebrations cancelled as UK-wide weather warnings take hold

Edinburgh's Hogmanay celebrations have been cancelled as wind, rain and snow is forecast across the UK in the coming days.

The Met Office has warned that weather impacts will be varied across the UK, with "a wet and windy spell for many up into the new year".

As 2025 gets under way, much of the country will be braced for rain and strong winds with yellow weather warnings in place between Monday and Thursday.

An amber warning for rain has been issued for parts of Scotland on New Year's Eve, and stormy conditions are expected to spread to the rest of the UK.

Edinburgh's street party and fireworks display were cancelled on public safety grounds after the Met Office issued yellow warnings for wind and rain. Indoor events, including a candlelit concert at St Giles' Cathedral, are scheduled to go ahead as planned.

Unique Assembly, which runs the world-renowned Hogmanay festival on behalf of City of Edinburgh Council, said it had taken the decision in the interest of public safety.

It comes after wind gusts on Sunday led to the cancellation of the traditional Torchlight Procession, which usually kicks off the Hogmanay events.

Met Office spokesman Oli Claydon said there was already some travel disruption in Scotland, and "more broadly there could be disruption from strong wind and, in particular, where the wind and rain overlap".

On Monday, the Met Office upgraded a rain weather warning for parts of northern Scotland on 31 December to amber, meaning flooding and disruption is likely until 17:00 GMT on Tuesday.

Forecasters expect areas of low pressure to bring unsettled conditions more widely across the UK on both New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.

That will eventually lead to a cold plunge of air from the north, with temperatures dipping below freezing for many.

Between Monday and New Year's Eve there could be as much as 100-140mm (3.9-5.5 inches) of rainfall in some parts of western Scotland which could lead to localised flooding.

There could be some further snow in northern parts of the country too.

There will also be spells of rain across England, Northern Ireland and Wales. The rain looks set to be particularly heavy in Wales.

While it will be windy everywhere, it could be especially blustery in the south of England as the new year is welcomed in.

The Environment Agency's flood duty manager, Stefan Laeger, said continuous rain meant river levels could be high across parts of the Midlands and the north of England between Tuesday and Thursday "when significant inland flooding is possible but not expected".

In total, 27 flood warnings were in place across Scotland on Monday evening, with two in place in northern England.

The weather warnings in place across the UK include:

• A yellow warning for rain and snow across Scotland for all of Monday and Tuesday.
• An amber warning for rain is in place for Moray and Highland from first thing on Tuesday until 17:00.
• Parts of northern England are covered by a yellow warning for wind from 07:00 until 23:00 on Tuesday. A separate wind warning covers Northern Ireland from 06:00 until 14:00.
• Also on Tuesday, a yellow warning for snow is in place for Orkney and Shetland in Scotland from 05:00 until midnight.
• A separate yellow warning for rain covers parts of Wales, the midlands and north-west England from 18:00 on Tuesday and 18:00 on Wednesday.
• On Wednesday, yellow warnings for snow and ice come into force, covering parts of northern Scotland, leading to some travel disruption in Aberdeenshire and Highland. It will stay in place until Thursday at 09:00.
• Also on Wednesday, a yellow warning for wind is in place for southern England from 07:00 until midnight.

More widespread disruption is expected on New Year's Day as another area of low pressure moves across the UK.

The strongest winds will be over England and Wales with gusts near 70mph (112km/h) over coasts and hills in the south and west.

About 30mm of heavy rainfall is expected widely across the UK. Rain is forecast to be heavier in Wales on Wednesday, which could bring some flooding.

Forecasters said up to 20cm of snow is expected in some parts of Scotland with heavier falls over hills with blizzards and drifting.

The Met Office said there was "potential for the pattern of warnings to shift and possibly escalate in some areas".

Disruption is expected to continue on Wednesday night. By the morning of Thursday 2 January arctic air may sweep towards the UK as the area of low pressure clears into Europe.

From Thursday into next weekend it will be much colder everywhere with widespread frosts. Most places will be dry and sunny during the day but wintry showers will affect northern areas and lead to icy conditions.

The Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (Sepa) has urged people in the North West and Central Highlands to "be prepared, be aware" as flooding is expected.

Those travelling and with plans over the New Year are being urged to check the latest forecasts.

Network Rail said trains on some lines will need to be slowed down due to the difficult weather conditions.

Passengers on Avanti West Coast routes have been warned they will face a "significantly reduced" service on New Year's Eve due to a strike by train managers.

Members of the RMT union will walk out on 31 December until 2 January following a dispute over rest days.

The weather warnings come after thick fog caused disruption to hundreds of flights at some of the UK's major airports over the weekend.

Gatwick Airport reported continued delays on Monday, and flights at Manchester, Glasgow and Cardiff were also affected on Friday and Saturday due to poor visibility.