Millions across the UK are bracing for a New Year’s Day weather wallop as the Met Office issues a stark warning. A ‘disruptive’ 75mph wind alert is set to kick in just 15 minutes into the new year, affecting swathes of the south of England, the Midlands, and Wales from 12.15am until 3pm tomorrow.
The Met Office cautions: “Strong southwesterly winds are expected overnight and during Wednesday. The strongest winds are expected across coastal regions in the west and south of the warning area, where gusts of 65-75 mph are possible.”
“Inland, highest gusts will typically be between 45 and 55 mph, but possibly 60 mph in places, particularly in association with the passage of squally cold front which will bring a band of heavy rain southwards. The wind is expected to ease quickly from the north through the course of the day as this cold front passes.”
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This comes on the heels of a dire warning for Scotland’s north, where today’s heavy rain could pose a ‘danger to life’. An amber warning is in place for the Highlands around Inverness until 5pm this evening, with the deluge that started Monday night expected to cause significant flooding and travel chaos.
The Scottish Environmental Protection Agency has released three grave flood warnings signalling impending river floods, accompanied by numerous alerts. Additionally, two pressing flood warnings from the Environment Agency are in place for Scarborough due to the expected convergence of high tides and harsh winds leading to “large waves and spray” this afternoon, reports the Mirror.
Iconic New Year’s Eve festivities pencilled in for Edinburgh and Blackpool tonight have been scrapped over safety concerns as a cocktail of strong winds, torrential rain, ice, and snow hit certain regions of the nation.
An Edinburgh’s Hogmanay spokesperson lamented over the weather disruptions last night: “We have unfortunately been unable to continue with preparations and necessary set-up for Edinburgh’s Hogmanay outdoor events due to extreme weather and forecast conditions.”
In London, ticket holders and global onlookers can still anticipate the famous midnight fireworks, with confirmation from the Mayor of London’s office. A spokesperson reassured Mirror readers: “We continue to monitor the weather forecast closely, but ticketholders and the many millions watching around the world are set for a spectacular night of fireworks from the banks of the Thames to welcome in the new year. All tickets are sold out, with resale tickets only available through Ticketmaster, the only authorised ticket seller for this event. Anyone who does not have a ticket is urged to watch the show on TV or welcome in 2025 in the capital’s fantastic range of hospitality venues.”