Edinburgh Hogmanay cancelled – as UK set to be hit by high winds, heavy rain and snow on New Year’s Eve
Edinburgh’s Hogmanay is the latest victim of bad weather set to batter the UK over the new year after being cancelled on “public safety grounds”.
Outdoor events scheduled for 30 and 31 December will no longer take place due to high winds and “extreme” weather, organisers announced hours ahead of events kicking off on Monday.
Organisers apologised to tourists who travelled internationally for the Hogmanay events, which included a concert headlined by Scottish band Texas, and said it was not safe to carry out preparations outdoors in such bad weather.
However indoor events, including a sold-out concert by Idlewild, and a sold-out service at St Giles Cathedral on New Year’s Eve, will still go ahead.
‘Difficult decision’
A spokesperson for Edinburgh’s Hogmanay said: “Due to ongoing high winds and inclement weather in Edinburgh city centre, we regret to announce that outdoor events scheduled for Monday and 31 December are unable to go ahead on the grounds of public safety.
“The cancellation includes tonight’s Night Afore Disco Party in West Princes Street Gardens, and on 31 December, the Edinburgh’s Hogmanay Street Party, Concert in the Gardens, and the midnight fireworks from Edinburgh Castle.
“We have been unable to continue with preparations and necessary set-up for Edinburgh’s Hogmanay outdoor events due to extreme weather and forecast conditions. Therefore, for safety reasons we, along with our event partners, have taken the difficult decision to cancel all outdoor events.”
Meanwhile, Blackpool’s New Year’s Eve fireworks have also been cancelled due to the forecast of high winds in northwest England tomorrow night.
Blackpool Tower Fireworks, October 2018. File pic: iStock/Victorburnside
Organisers of London’s celebrations are monitoring the weather carefully.
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.
Scotland
Scotland is covered by four different weather warnings across the next three days – including a more severe amber warning.
The first yellow 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 was in place across Monday and will end at 11.59pm tonight. It warns that some homes and businesses could be flooded and there could be delays to travel services.
The Met Office weather warning that came into force in Scotland on 30 December. Pic: Met Office
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 that came into force at midnight and ends at 5pm today.
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.
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
England
There are four yellow weather warnings covering different parts of England over the next three days.
A yellow weather warning for wind will be in place between 7am and 11pm today. It 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
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The alert warns of “strong westerly winds” that could lead to travel disruption.
It comes as a yellow warning for rain runs from 6pm on New Year’s Eve until 6pm on New Year’s Day.
The warning 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.
It is one of two warnings that will be in place on New Year’s Day – with a yellow wind alert covering southern England and parts of the West Midlands from 7am to 11.59pm.
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.
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 15-year-old boy has died after “getting into difficulty” in a lake in southeast London, police say.
Officers and paramedics were called shortly after 3pm on Friday to Beckenham Place Park in Lewisham.
The Metropolitan Police said a boy “was recovered from the lake” at around 10.42pm the same day.
“He was taken to hospital where he was sadly pronounced dead. His death is being treated as unexpected but not believed to be suspicious,” according to the force.
The boy’s family has been told and are being supported by specialist officers.
The force originally said the child was 16 years old, but has since confirmed his age as 15.
In the earlier statement, officers said emergency services carried out a search and the park was evacuated.
Emergency teams were called to Beckenham Place Park on Friday afternoon
Beckenham Place Park, which borders the London borough of Bromley, covers around 240 acres, according to the park’s website.
The lake is described as 285 metres long, reaching depths of up to 3.5 metres.
It is designed as a swimming lake for open-water swimming and paddle boarding.
A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said on Friday: “We were called at 3.02pm this afternoon to reports of a person in the water.
“We sent resources to the scene, including an ambulance crew, an incident response officer and members of our hazardous area response team.”
Emergency teams have not explained how the boy entered the water, or whether he was accompanied by others.
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