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Snow, gales and up to five inches of rain are set to batter Britain over New Year, with weather warnings in place for snow, wind and rain.
Forecasters have warned that winds of up to 70mph are likely to hit the north of England on Tuesday, with snow expected on New Year’s Day in Northern Ireland, northern England and Scotland.
For those celebrating Hogmanay, heavy downpours and snowfall may cause ‘significant disruption’ across northern Scotland, with up to five and a half inches of rainfall on Monday and Tuesday.
Up to eight inches of snow may blanket areas like Mainland and Hoy, with two to four inches predicted elsewhere, while strong winds have the potential to ‘exacerbate impacts’, creating ‘blizzard conditions’ which could freeze powerlines.
A warning has also been issued for ‘persistent snow’ likely to cause road disruption in Orkney and Shetland from 5am onwards on Tuesday. Longer road journey times are likely as a result of difficult driving conditions, the forecaster warned.
Sky News Meteorologist Christopher England said the start of 2025 would bring ‘multi-hazard storm, combining severe gales, heavy rain and possibly significant snow as the rain runs into cold air’.
Britain faces the worst January freeze for 12 years with a -10C shiver to hit for ten days from New Year’s Day.
Temperatures will be colder than Moscow as a 1,000 mile-wide ‘polar plunge’ arrives on Wednesday – after a storm battering on New Year’s Eve on Tuesday and during New Year’s Day.
A jogger and dog walker in a lane in Glastonbury, Somerset, on December 29
Pictured above are the weather warnings in place for New Year’s Eve
A view of partially obscured Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, and Hungerford and Golden Jubilee Bridges as thick fog descends on London on December 29
Cars driving in foggy conditions on the M20 near Folkestone in Kent on December 29
Arctic air will also hit on Wednesday to bring up to four inches’ snow in northern England, with up to ten inches and snowdrifts on higher ground.
BBC Weather forecast highs of just 3-5C – but feeling like -1C to 1C in windchill – across most of the UK from January 2 to 10. Nights are set to plummet to -6C in England and -10C in Scotland, colder than -5C lows due in Moscow.
The Weather Outlook forecaster Brian Gaze said: ‘Forecast models show the longest and most significant January cold spell for a number of years, starting from New Year’s Day.
‘Bitter northerly winds are expected, with snow for many areas possible.’
Netweather forecaster Nick Finnis said: ‘There is increasing confidence for a cold spell across the UK from January 1 to around January 10. This could be a significant cold spell for January compared to recent years.’
This comes after flights were unable to take off for the third day running today at one of the UK’s biggest airports due to thick blankets of fog reducing visibility on the airfield.
Gatwick put temporary air traffic restrictions in place due to visibility issues and warned flights would be delayed throughout the day.
There were 769 flights planned at the airport today – making it the busiest day of the Christmas holiday period.
Pictured above are the weather warnings in place for New Year’s Day
A miserable and misty Saturday afternoon in the Oxfordshire countryside at Dunsden
Pedestrians cross Millennium Bridge on Saturday with St Paul’s Cathedral disappearing into fog
New Year’s Eve could see freezing temperatures in Scotland as rain and winds batter the country
It followed two days of chaos at airports including Stansted, Heathrow, Luton and Manchester due to fog. The Met Office said patches of thick fog was reducing visibility to just 100 metres in some areas.
Among those affected by cancellations over the past few days were a couple who had been forced to prolong their Christmas visit to family on the Isle of Man.
Kiera Quayle, from Colchester, Essex, was due to fly from Isle of Man Airport to Gatwick on Friday evening with her husband after visiting his family but their flight was delayed by three hours before finally being cancelled at around 10pm, with the next one not available until Sunday.
‘Our five days has turned to seven, it looks like,’ the 30-year-old said. ‘It’s frustrating and stressful but I overheard a few families who are now missing holidays and work who have it worse at this point.’
Flights at Stansted Airport were impacted by the weather conditions on Saturday, while live departure boards showed delays at Heathrow, Luton and Manchester Airports.
Nats, the UK’s main air traffic control provider, said temporary air restrictions are to continue today as airfields are affected by the fog.
A spokesman said: ‘While the weather conditions have improved, fog continues to affect some airports in London today. Temporary air traffic restrictions are therefore in place at airfields with low visibility to maintain safety.
‘Our teams are working closely with the airports and airlines to minimise disruption but passengers should check the status of their flight with their airline.’
A further view of people in the foggy conditions at St Michael’s Tower on top of Glastonbury Tor, Somerset
Passengers face lengthy delays heading in and out of London’s Heathrow today due to heavy fog and in Terminal 5 (pictured) check in computers face issues, according to B.A staff this morning
People brave the UK’s foggy conditions at St Michael’s Tower on top of Glastonbury Tor in Somerset
For New Year’s Day, the Met Office predicts even lower temperatures for Scotland and northern England
A spokesperson for easyJet said: ‘Due to ongoing poor weather conditions resulting in air traffic control restrictions and delays at London Gatwick today, some flights this evening are now unable to operate as planned.
‘We are doing all we can to minimise the impact of the weather for our customers, providing options to rebook or a refund for cancelled flights, as well as hotel accommodation and meals where required.
‘We advise customers due to travel to and from London Gatwick today to check our Flight Tracker for the latest information on their flight.
‘The safety and wellbeing of our customers and crew is our highest priority and while this is outside of our control, we are very sorry for the inconvenience caused by the weather.’
Meanwhile, the Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for wind in northern England for Monday – with gusts of up to 60mph possible which may cause travel delays and power cuts.
The warning, in place from 11am to 6pm, covers areas including Durham, Northumberland, Cumbria and North Yorkshire.
In England and Northern Ireland, gusts of up to 70mph may lead to travel disruption on December 31, with delays to road, rail, air and ferry transport all likely, the forecaster has warned.
An alert for wind is in place from 7am until 11pm on Tuesday and covers most of Northern Ireland, including Londonderry, Tyrone, Antrim and Armagh, as well as just north of York in England up to Glasgow, Edinburgh and Greenock.
People walk along Waterloo Bridge past a completely obscured City of London skyline, the capital’s financial district, as thick fog descends on the capital on December 29
Travel chaos and flight carnage are in full force at the busiest time of year as thick fog has continued to smother the UK
A partially obscured London Eye today as fog descends on the capital leading to travel chaos and cancelled flights
Very strong winds of up to 60mph are forecast across the whole of England and Wales all day Wednesday and into Thursday morning, with gusts of 75mph likely around coastal areas and hills, according to the Met Office.
The alert for wind is in place from 9am on Wednesday until 6am on Thursday.
Residents should prepare by checking for loose items outside their homes and planning how to secure them, the Met Office warned.
A Met Office forecaster said: ‘Northern areas are likely to see the strongest winds on Monday and New Year’s Eve, with central and southern areas seeing the strongest winds on New Year’s Day.
‘Winds will turn northerly and cold air will be drawn across the UK. Showers of rain and sleet will turn increasingly to snow, especially across the north, and coasts.
‘There is a chance that rain may move in from the south over the first weekend of January, turning to snow as it runs into colder air.’
Those hoping to travel on New Year’s Day should check road conditions and public transport updates before embarking on their journeys.
In Wales, the new year will be off to a soggy start as the majority of the country is likely to be drenched by up to 60mm of rain causing delays for road transport, potential power cuts and flooding.
On Thursday, Britain will feel the cold spell due to hit in January
A view of partially obscured Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, Hungerford and Golden Jubilee Bridges, River Thames and the London Eye as fog descends on the capital
The Met Office shows a band of rain, hail and snow descending on the north of the UK this weekend
Met Office chief forecaster Andy Page said the forecast for the upcoming week was ‘complicated’ and urged people to check the forecast regularly in order to update their plans.
He said: ‘Almost the entire UK is covered by at least one weather warning during the coming week. With such a varied and complex weather situation, there is potential for the pattern of warnings to shift and possibly escalate in some areas.
‘With lots of celebrations and people on the move over the coming days, we are urging everyone to keep checking the forecast so they can update their plans.’