Devon is being warned to expect a bumpy start to 2025 with a yellow weather warning in place on new year’s day. The county is expected to be buffeted by powerful winds with gusts of up to 58mph in Exeter and 63mph in Barnstaple.
Plymouth will receive an even worse battering with gusts of up to 65mph. There will be heavy rain too throughout the afternoon on January 1 too.
And although Thursday will be dry it will be cold – with sub-zero temperatures expected. These will continue into Friday giving a very chilly start to the year.
The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for all of England and Wales which includes a minor “danger to life” risk due to potential flying debris. There’s also the possibility of extended travel times, damage to buildings, power outages, and large waves and beach materials being thrown onto sea fronts – and some bridges may even have to close.
The yellow wind warning comes into force at 9am on Wednesday and continues until 6am on Thursday.
In Exeter,winds will build from 16mph, at 9am on Wednesday, to 20mph by noon, remaining at that speed throughout the afternoon. They will drop to 17mph at 6pm and subside to 6mph by 9am on Thursday.
Gusts will build all day on Wednesday, from 38mph at 3am to 53mph by 9am and then rising to 58mph in the afternoon. The wind gusts will decline to 49mph by 6pm. By Thursday morning gusts will be down to 20mph by 6am.
In North Devon, winds will be at just 15mph at 6am on January 1, increasing to 22mph by the afternoon before tailing off. Speeds will be down to only 5mph by 9am on Thursday.
It will be gusty however, with gusts of up to 47mph on new year’s eve, but rising to 49mph at 6am on new year’s day when the yellow alert comes into force. Gusts will rise to 59mph by 9am and peak at 63mph at noon. During the afternoon they will gradually subside to 59mph , then 46mph and down to 36mph by 9pm. By the afternoon on January 2 gusts will be at just 19mph.
Plymouth will receive the worst buffeting, with winds building from 19mph, at 9am on Wednesday, to 23mph by noon. Winds will peak at 26mph at 3pm and then drop to 21mph by 6pm. They will subside to 8mph by 6am on Thursday.
Gusts will build all day on Wednesday, from 45mph at 3am to 57mph by 9am and then rising to 64mph at around noon. The wind gusts are expected to peak at 65mph by 3pm before falling to 56mph at 6pm and then 35 mph at 9pm. By Thursday morning gusts will be down to 23mph.
Heavy rain is expected across the county on Wednesday afternoon between noon and 3pm, but gradually dying off after 6pm and being dry by 9pm. Thursday morning is actually expected to be sunny.
Temperatures will hover at about 8C in Plymouth and Barnstaple on Wednesday, and 9C in Exeter and, but will drop at night to as low as freezing by early morning. Thursday will be very cold, only 2C or 3C in the afternoon before falling to sub-zero temperatures during the evening and night. The cold weather will continue into Friday.