UK braces for strong winds and heavy rain on New Year’s Day
Met Office weather warnings are in place across parts of England, Wales and Scotland on January 1.
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Your support makes all the difference.The UK is set to be battered with wind and rain to start 2025.
Met Office weather warnings are in place across parts of England, Wales and Scotland on New Year’s Day.
This includes an amber alert for heavy rain which has been put in place across parts of North-West England until 9am.
The Met Office warning stretches from Settle in the Yorkshire Dales across to Preston and down to parts of the Peak District.
It states that heavy rainfall is “likely to lead to disruption including flooding in some locations” with a chance some places could see more than 10cm of rain.
The forecaster warned of difficult driving conditions, “danger to life” flooding, potential road closures and transport delays.
There may also be power cuts.
National Highways said the westbound M56 between Junction 6 for Manchester Airport and Junction 7 for Bowdon was expected to be closed “for some time” due to flooding across all three lanes.
A section of the A628 Woodhead Pass between Woolley Bridge and Flouch was closed in both directions.
Flooding was also causing disruptions to rail services on the TransPennine Express Network between Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester Road on Wednesday morning, as well as between Manchester Airport and Manchester Piccadilly, according to National Rail.
Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue Service said it was experiencing a high number of 999 calls regarding flooding.
Network Rail said the Conwy Valley Line between Blaenau Ffestiniog and Llandudno Junction would be closed throughout New Year’s Day due to fallen trees on the line and an assessment of the embankment.
Meanwhile, 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.
This could lead to travel delays, damage to buildings, power cuts, and even danger from flying debris or large waves, the forecaster said.
Some roads and bridges may close, and injuries could occur, particularly in coastal areas.
Rain turning to snow on New Year’s Day is likely to cause travel disruption, particularly on roads and railways across Grampian, Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Moray, and the Highlands & Eilean Siar, the Met Office said.
It comes after Edinburgh’s Hogmanay celebrations, including street parties and fireworks, were cancelled due to safety concerns.
Fireworks displays in Blackpool, Newcastle, Ripon in North Yorkshire, and the Isle of Wight were axed.
London’s New Year’s Eve fireworks event went ahead as planned.
Forecasters say the high winds and rain may also cause flooding, particularly in the Midlands and Pennines, with the Environment Agency urging people to stay away from swollen rivers and avoid driving through floodwater.
In the Highlands, flooding has forced the closure of the A9 at Tomich.
The Far North Line was also shut down temporarily, while rail services between Dingwall and Inverness were halted due to flooding.
Forecasters warn of possible blizzard conditions, particularly over high ground in Sutherland and Caithness.
Snow is expected to fall heavily over the Highlands, with 10-20cm accumulating above 150-200 metres.