Edinburgh‘s Hogmanay celebrations both tonight and on New Year’s Eve tomorrow have been cancelled due to a storm bringing 75mph winds, heavy rain and snow.
Organisers confirmed this afternoon that the outdoor events are ‘unable to go ahead on the grounds of public safety’ due to ‘extreme weather and forecast conditions’.
Separately, Blackpool Council confirmed it had taken the ‘tough decision’ to cancel its fireworks due to the winds, but a projection show set to music will still take place.
It comes as ferries and trains have been disrupted as snow, rain and wind warnings came into force and are expected to cause further travel issues on New Year’s Eve.
Almost every part of the UK is covered by at least one of the nine weather warnings that have been issued by the Met Office between today and Thursday.
Scotland is being hit first by ‘fairly persistent rain’ and snow, with 50mm to 70mm of rainfall expected widely, 100mm to 140mm in some locations, and up to 20cm of snow in places, with a warning in place until midnight on New Year’s Eve.
Ferry routes have already been disrupted in Scotland today, while rail lines have been affected including the Highland Main Line at Kingussie.
And an amber warning has been issued for parts of Scotland between midnight and 5pm on New Year’s Eve, indicating that heavy rain is likely to cause property flooding.
A yellow warning has been issued for ‘persistent snow’ likely to cause road disruption in Orkney and Shetland from 5am until midnight tomorrow.
Fireworks explode over Edinburgh Castle and the Balmoral Clock during the street party for Hogmanay New Year celebrations in Edinburgh on January 1, 2024
An Edinburgh’s Hogmanay spokesperson said: ‘Due to ongoing high winds and inclement weather in Edinburgh city centre, we regret to announce that outdoor events scheduled for tonight and December 31 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 December 31, the Edinburgh’s Hogmanay Street Party, Concert in the Gardens, and the Midnight Fireworks from Edinburgh Castle.
‘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. Therefore, for safety reasons we, along with our event partners, have taken the difficult decision to cancel all outdoor events.
‘We know that this will be hugely disappointing to all hoping to celebrate Hogmanay in Edinburgh and that people travel from around the world to be here at the Home of Hogmanay. Customer Service from point of purchase will be in touch with ticketholders directly with further instructions regarding refunds in due course.’
The spokesperson said all indoor events are taking place as planned.
City of Edinburgh council leader Jane Meagher said: ‘I know that, like me, many people will be very disappointed. This decision was not taken lightly, however with the ongoing adverse weather condition, public safety must be our number one priority. You’ll see from the programme that there are lots of exciting indoor events taking place. For those coming along to them – I know you’re in for a treat and will have a great time. Please make sure you stay up-to-date with the weather and transport on social media.’
And Chief Superintendent David Robertson, Police Scotland Gold Commander for Edinburgh’s Hogmanay, said: ‘Cancelling such an event is a difficult decision for the organisers, but public safety takes priority, so we fully support this decision.’
Met Office spokesman Oli Claydon said there would be ‘pretty severe weather’ from the heavy rain over the next 48 hours.
He also advised residents to check flood alerts on the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) website.
Cordelia Menmuir, Sepa’s duty flood manager, said: ‘Extremely high water levels are expected in Speyside, the Great Glen and Tayside, resulting in disruptions to transport and to communities. It is possible we could see similar levels to those experienced in early October 2023, when places like Aviemore and Perth were severely affected.
‘We’re likely to see extensive river and surface water flooding impacts across these areas. We’re already seeing impacts on the road and rail network, and further rain will only exacerbate this.
‘We urge people living, working and visiting in the affected areas to consider any steps you need to take now to be prepared for flooding impacts. Consider whether your journey is necessary.’
Northern England has started to be battered by blustery conditions, which are set to include gusts of up to 60mph today, according to the forecaster.
A weather warning was in place today where strong winds could impact travellers until 6pm in areas including Durham, Northumberland, Cumbria and North Yorkshire.
On New Year’s Eve, delays to all types of transport are ‘likely’ as strong winds persist and may reach speeds of up to 70mph in England and Northern Ireland, the forecaster warned.
An alert for wind is in place from 7am until 11pm tomorrow and covers just north of York in England up to Glasgow, Edinburgh and Greenock, while the alert covering much of Northern Ireland is in force between 6am and 2pm.
A woman’s hair is blown across her face as people walk in strong winds in Edinburgh today
Workers try to repair a fence today, damaged by high winds at Edinburgh Christmas Market
A woman holds onto her umbrella in Edinburgh today as the city faces wet and windy weather
Mr Claydon said the weather impacts will be varied across the UK, with ‘a wet and windy spell for many up into the new year’.
He added: ‘There’s already some travel disruption in Scotland because of the high totals they’re seeing, more broadly there could be disruption from strong wind and, in particular, where the wind and rain overlap.’
The new year will be off to a turbulent start with separate weather warnings in place for wind and rain on January 1.
Winds of up to 60mph are forecast across much of England and Wales all day on Wednesday, with gusts of 75mph likely around coastal areas and hills, according to the Met Office.
The warning for wind is in place from 7am until midnight on Wednesday and the rain warning covers Wales and North West England between 6pm on New Year’s Eve and 6pm on Wednesday, with 30 to 50mm of rain expected widely, while a few locations could see more than 100mm.
Stefan Laeger, flood duty manager at the Environment Agency, said: ‘Heavy and persistent rain means river levels could be high across parts of the Midlands and the North of England on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, when significant inland flooding is possible but not expected.
‘Environment Agency teams will be out on the ground, taking action to reduce the impact of flooding and support those communities affected. We advise people to stay away from swollen rivers and urge people not to drive through flood water as just 30cm of flowing water is enough to move your car.’
The rest of the week will be chilly with widespread frost across the country predicted on Thursday night, the forecaster added.
The Scottish Government Resilience Room (SGORR) has been activated in response to the weather warnings and authorities have advised people to plan ahead if travelling over the New Year period.
Douglas Cairns, Traffic Scotland operator manager at Transport Scotland, said: ‘The severe weather across much of Scotland this week will, unfortunately, cause some disruption across the transport network.
‘Road, rail, air and ferry services are all likely to be affected by the conditions, with localised flooding, longer journey times and cancellations possible, as well as potential restrictions on bridges.
‘The network is also expected to be busy as people travel to celebrate New Year with friends and family.
‘We are asking travellers to plan their journeys before setting off to ensure they reach their destination and celebrations in good time.
‘If you’re driving, make sure your vehicle is winter ready and follow any Police Scotland travel advice that may be in place. Traffic Scotland provides up-to-date travel information on the trunk road network through its website, X account and internet radio broadcasts.
‘The same advice goes for other modes of transport – if you are planning to travel by rail, air or ferry, stay in contact with your operator for the latest service information.’
Scottish Government officials will continue to monitor the situation and work with frontline agencies to mitigate the impact of the weather.
First Minister John Swinney will attend a meeting of SGORR on Monday evening, which will be chaired by Justice Secretary Angela Constance.
In a post on social media he said: ‘Please follow all advice and stay safe.’
Ms Constance said: ‘There is expected to be a significant amount of rainfall in the next 24 hours after a period of wet weather, raising the risks of travel disruption and flooding.
‘New Year travellers are advised to plan ahead during this normally busy period and follow Police Scotland and Traffic Scotland advice on the roads.’
There were 10 flood alerts and 20 flood warnings in force in Scotland this afternoon.
