Rain, snow and strong winds will hit the UK as 2025 gets under way, with a series of weather warnings covering all parts of the country coming into force over the coming days.
The Met Office has said there could be travel disruption on New Year’s Eve in northern England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, before stormy conditions spread to the rest of the UK on New Year’s Day.
A rain and snow warning is already in force for much of Scotland, with conditions set to deteriorate elsewhere in the UK between Monday and Thursday.
High winds led to Sunday’s pre-Hogmanay Torchlight Procession in Edinburgh being cancelled, and there is a chance more celebrations could be disrupted.
Following a period of heavy rain and some hill snow in Scotland on Monday, two areas of low pressure will bring unsettled conditions more widely 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.
On 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 very blustery in the south of England as the new year is welcomed in.
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 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.
Possible snowfall may lead to disruption in Northern Ireland, Scotland and northern England.
Forecasters said 10cm of snow was expected in some areas 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 attending Scotland’s biggest Hogmanay celebration in Edinburgh are being advised to dress for all weathers and check social media for updates.