UK braces for strong winds and heavy rain on New Year’s Day
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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. 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.
