Snowfall is expected across much of the UK in a chilly start to the new year, forecasters have said, as revellers were advised to wrap up with near-freezing temperatures expected on New Year’s Eve.
Edinburgh’s Hogmanay celebrations are expected to go ahead after last year’s cancellation due to high winds, despite yellow warnings for snow across northern Scotland.
Elsewhere in the UK, the weather is likely to be perfect for fireworks, dry with clear skies, though temperatures are due to be chilly, making extra layers a necessity, the Met Office said.
Moving into Friday, weather warnings for snow are in place in Northern Ireland and stretching from Wales, across parts of the north-west, the West Midlands and through to London and most of the south-east of England.
Transport is expected to be affected, with people advised to allow extra time for journeys on the road and delays and cancellations expected on public transport.
The forecaster Simon Partridge said as 2026 begins it would be “cold regardless of where you are”.
He said: “At midnight in London there will be mostly clear skies, it will be quite chilly, but with fairly light winds, with temperatures around 1-2C. For Cardiff it’s again dry, there will be a bit more cloud around but still dry, again light winds, temperatures there a little bit warmer, 2-3C.”
Partridge said further north there would be cloudier skies, but this was not expected to affect visibility for watching fireworks displays. “We are not looking at low cloud, mist or murk, so you should be able to see fireworks, just not stars.”
Wednesday had a frosty start to the morning with fog lingering in the south-west but this made way for winter sunshine.
Patches of freezing fog were expected in the west and north-west of England during the day, the national weather service said, and advised those travelling early on New Year’s Day to take care.
In a post on X, the Met Office said: “A cold New Year’s Eve evening for those out celebrating, so extra layers will be needed.”
In London, where tens of thousands of partygoers will head to the banks of the Thames to watch the mayor’s annual fireworks display, the temperature will be just above freezing when Big Ben strikes midnight.
Going into 2026, temperatures are expected to drop further as snow and gale-force winds are expected to batter the north of the country.
About 10cm of snow is expected to have accumulated in some areas by Friday morning, reaching up to 30cm on the highest roads and hills.
Meanwhile, amber cold health alerts have been issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) for the north-east and north-west of England and are due to remain in place until noon on 5 January, with temperatures expected to fall to 3-5C.
The UKHSA said this meant the weather was likely to cause significant impacts across health and social care services, including a rise in the number of deaths among those with health conditions or aged 65 or over.
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