THE Met Office has revealed its New Year’s Day weather forecast – after issuing a snow warning for parts of the UK.
New Year’s Day will see rain pushing south-eastwards across Britain, followed by a cold northerly wind.
MET OfficeThe Met Office has issued a snow warning for December 30 and New Year’s Eve[/caption]
AlamySnowfall in Swaledale, North Yorkshire before Christmas[/caption]
Showers of rain and sleet will turn increasingly to snow, especially across the north.
This cold, showery northerly wind may persist for a few days, forecasters said.
High pressure will build from the west, bringing a period of more settled weather.
Although it will feel cold at first, temperatures will gradually recover to nearer average for the time of year, perhaps even mild.
The wettest and windiest weather will be in the north and west, while the south and east will probably remain more settled overall.
Met Office expert Tony Wisson said: “Wintry showers are likely to be a feature of the forecast as a cold northerly flow becomes established.”
A yellow rain and snow warning will be in force for most of Scotland for the whole of Monday, December 30.
The warning will last until one minute before midnight on New Year’s Eve – expiring just before the start of 2025.
Forecasters said fast flowing or deep floodwater is possible, posing a “danger to life”.
A whopping 140mm of rain and 20cm of snow could fall in the warning zone.
The warning applies to the Scottish mainland from Kilmarnock and Edinburgh north, and the Western Isles.
Snow is also “likely” to fall on higher ground in and around Perthshire.
Strong winds could unleash blizzards in some areas, particularly over higher ground and across much of Sutherland and Caithness.
Spray and flooding will lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures.
Travellers face longer journey times on road, bus and train services and some communities may be cut off altogether.
Homes and businesses could be flooded, causing damage to some buildings.
Power cuts may occur and other services, such as mobile phone coverage, may be affected.
Delays or cancellations to train and bus services are possible from rain or snow.
Scottish first minister John Swinney said: “We have yellow weather warnings for rain, predominantly, over most of Scotland, for Monday and Tuesday.
“They may well have an effect on some of the outdoor events that are taking their course.
“We’re obviously at the vagaries of the weather this time of year, it’s an inevitable feature we’ve got to wrestle with.
“But the resilience planning is undertaken across Government on a daily basis.
“We are looking ahead to the events around about Hogmanay to make sure that everybody can enjoy the festivities but be safe in the process.
“I would urge members of the public to follow all of the warnings because they will develop over the course of the next few days.”
Swinney added: “It’s vital that all of us pay close attention to those warnings.”
Met Office forecast in full
Today
It will be a cloudy and murky day for much of England and Wales, with patchy fog and drizzle.
Rain across Scotland will slowly clear southeastwards through the day, with sunny spells and blustery showers following behind.
Tonight
Light rain continues to move southeast with cloudy, murky conditions to the south of it.
Clearer, cooler and breezier conditions following, but rain arriving across northwest Scotland.
Sunday
Rain, heavy at times, slowly edges south across Scotland.
Elsewhere, breezier than of late and brighter with some sunny spells.
A little light rain possible over western hills.
Monday to Wednesday
Windy on Monday with outbreaks of rain.
Remaining unsettled over New Year’s Eve and into the new year with rain and hill snow in the north.
Turning colder for most.
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