Edinburgh’s Hogmanay cancelled due to ‘extreme weather’ – what are the alerts where you are?
Edinburgh’s Hogmanay is the latest victim of bad weather set to batter the UK over the new year.
The celebrations have been cancelled due to high winds and “extreme” weather, organisers announced hours ahead of events kicking off on Monday.
Outdoor events scheduled for 30 and 31 December have been called off for “safety reasons”, a spokesperson said.
Blackpool’s New Year’s Eve fireworks have also been cancelled due to the forecast of high winds in northwest England tomorrow night.
Organisers of London’s celebrations are monitoring the weather carefully.
Blackpool Tower Fireworks, October 2018. File pic: iStock/Victorburnside
Britain is set to be hit by high winds, heavy rain, and snowfall – as weather warnings cover almost every part of the UK.
Here’s what forecasters are predicting across the UK over the next few days.
England
There are four yellow weather warnings covering different parts of England over the next few days, including one on Monday December 30.
That yellow alert for wind is in place for the North Pennines and Yorkshire Dales from 11am until 6pm.
The Met Office weather warnings on 30 December. Pic: Met Office
It warns of potential disruption to travel in the area and the potential for short-term power cuts.
Another yellow weather warning for wind comes into place from 7am on New Year’s Eve. That covers the northeast of England, down towards Bridlington in East Yorkshire, and across towards Carlisle in the northwest.
The Met Office weather warnings on 31 December. Pic: Met Office
It warns of “strong westerly winds” that could lead to travel disruption on New Year’s Eve and is in place until 11pm.
England then has two warnings in place on New Year’s Day.
The first, for strong winds, covers southern England and parts of the West Midlands from 7am to 11.59pm on 1 January.
The second, for heavy rain, covers a large part of the northwest and covers areas such as Stoke-on-Trent, Manchester, parts of Liverpool, Preston and north towards High Bentham.
That warning runs from 6pm on New Year’s Eve until 6pm on New Year’s Day.
Wales
Wales is covered by a yellow weather warning for rain on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
The Met Office weather warnings on January 1. Pic: Met Office
The alert covers a central belt of Wales from the north coast, to the south, and is in place from 6pm on New Year’s Eve until 6pm on New Year’s Day.
Scotland
Scotland is covered by five different weather warnings across the next four days – including a more severe amber warning.
The first alert, for rain and snow, covers almost all of Scotland and warns the weather could bring “significant disruption in the build-up to the new year.
It is place across Monday, until 11.59 pm tonight, and warns that some homes and businesses could be flooded and there could be delays to travel services.
Orkney, which is not covered by this warning, is covered by another alert for snow lasting from 5am on New Year’s Eve until midnight.
There is also an amber warning in place for central Scotland from midnight tonight until 5pm tomorrow.
The Met Office says the rain is “likely to cause some property flooding and travel disruption”.
Southern areas of Scotland, including Edinburgh and Glasgow, are also covered by another wind alert from 7am on New Year’s Eve until 11pm.
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There is also a yellow alert for snow and ice in place for northern areas of Scotland from midnight on 1 January until 9am on 2 January.
The Met Office weather warnings on January 2. Pic: Met Office
Northern Ireland
A yellow weather warning is in place for much of Northern Ireland, covering Belfast, Londonderry, Coleraine and Larne, from 6am until 7pm on New Year’s Eve.
The whole of Northern Ireland, from Derry to Enniskillen, and Newry to Ballycastle, was covered by a yellow weather alert for “heavy and persistent” snow from 7am until 11.59pm on New Year’s Day, but that has now been withdrawn by the Met Office.
A man has been arrested by police investigating a “significant” wildfire that triggered a major incident in Northern Ireland.
More than 100 firefighters and 15 fire appliances were deployed on Saturday to Sandbank Road, Hilltown, to tackle the blaze which is believed to have been caused deliberately, fire chiefs said.
Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) said the fire had a front of approximately two miles “including a large area of forestry close to property”.
It was extinguished at 2.53am on Sunday and the major incident status lifted, the NIFRS said.
“The cause of this fire is believed to have been deliberate,” chief fire and rescue officer Aidan Jennings said.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland said on Sunday that a 25-year-old man had been arrested “on suspicion of arson being reckless as to whether life would be endangered, and non-related driving offences”.
“He remains in custody at this time as enquiries continue into the circumstances surrounding the fire,” the force added.
The wildfire on Sandbank Road, Hilltown. Pic: Sky Watch NI
More than 100 firefighters were at the scene of the fire. Pic: Sky Watch NI
Various fires erupted across England this week amid uncharacteristically warm and dry conditions for the time of year.
On Saturday, helicopters were deployed to tackle Scotland’s fourth wildfire this week, with police saying a blaze “which started in the Newton Stewart area has spread northwards and is expected to reach the Loch Doon area of East Ayrshire around 12am on Sunday”.
Police Scotland added: “As a precautionary measure members of the public are asked to avoid the Loch Doon area and anyone who may be camping in the area is advised to leave.”
Moors Valley Country Park blackened by fires this week
Elsewhere in England, Devon and Cornwall Police said they were assisting the fire service with temporary road closures on the A30 in the Bolventor area as they tackle “a number of fires” on moorland.
In Dorset, Moors Valley Country Park was forced to close after multiple wildfires broke out there on Wednesday.
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Wildfires spread across nature reserve
Separate incidents were then reported at Upton Heath in Poole on Wednesday, and nearby Canford Heath in the early hours of Thursday.
Friday was officially the warmest day of the year so far – with temperatures in the south of England reaching 23C (73.4F) – the highest since 21 September last year, according to the Met Office.
The weather conditions triggered a “severe” wildfire rating for parts of the UK on Tuesday.
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