New Year’s Day travel facing disruption amid wind, rain and snow warnings
Share:
Wind, rain and snow warnings are in force across parts of the UK, with the threat of flooding and disruption to New Year’s Day travel. Large parts of England and Wales will be hit by strong winds until 3pm on Wednesday, while north-west England and Wales are forecast to see heavy rain for much of the morning.
More than 130 flood warnings, meaning flooding is expected, are in place for England, 10 for Wales and 32 for Scotland. Over the last 48 hours, some parts of the North West of England saw almost a month’s worth of rain, Met Office meteorologist Tom Morgan said.
Honister Pass in Cumbria saw nearly 6in (150mm) of rain, while Rochdale in Greater Manchester had 3in (77mm). Mr Morgan said: “There’s still probably likely to be further flooding across the course of the day, I’m expecting further issues this afternoon.
“We are potentially expecting the flood situation to get worse before it gets better.”. The yellow wind warning means there is a chance of delays or cancellations to road, rail, air and ferry services as winds of up to 60mph are forecast across much of England and Wales, with gusts of 75mph likely around coastal areas and hills, according to the Met Office.
And a yellow warning for snow and ice is in force for northern Scotland until 9am on Thursday, as rain turning to snow is likely to lead to some travel disruption and difficult driving conditions on New Year’s Day, the forecaster added. It comes after Edinburgh’s Hogmanay celebrations, including street parties and fireworks, were cancelled due to safety concerns.
