Revellers could see their New Year’s Eve plans curtailed or cancelled as heavy rain, snow and strong winds are forecast to hit the UK, causing travel disruption for most of this week.
The Met Office issued multiple yellow weather warnings for Monday to Thursday, with almost all of the country affected by at least one alert.
Gusts of up to 70mph may lead to travel disruption in England and Northern Ireland on 31 December, the forecaster said.
A warning for wind on Monday is in place for parts of Durham, Northumberland, Cumbria and North Yorkshire. More of the north-east and Cumbria is expected to be affected on Tuesday, as well as southern parts of Scotland, including Glasgow and Edinburgh, and most of Northern Ireland.
Hogmanay celebrations are at risk, with warnings for rain and snow in place across most of Scotland on Monday and Tuesday.
Heavy downpours and snowfall may cause “significant disruption” and up to 20cm of snow could fall on higher ground, while strong winds could “exacerbate impacts”, creating blizzard conditions and icing power lines, the Met Office said.
The organisers of Edinburgh’s famous Hogmanay street party said preparations were well under way and the event was still on course to go ahead as planned.
“Ahead of the big night there are some unsettled periods of weather and we are working round the clock to ensure event preparations and contingency plans are in place,” a spokesperson said.
The turbulent weather is expected to continue into the new year. Separate weather warnings are in place for snow, wind and rain on 1 January, with up to 25cm of snow expected to fall across parts of Scotland, the East Midlands and northern England.
Very strong winds of up to 60mph are forecast across the whole of England and Wales on New Year’s Day, with gusts of 75mph likely around coastal areas and hills.
Heavy rainfall of up to 60mm is expected across most of Wales on Wednesday, causing flooding, delays to road transport and potential power cuts.
The Met Office said new year travel plans may be affected and it urged people to check road conditions and public transport updates before setting off. It said difficult driving conditions would mean longer journey times.
It also warned people to check that any loose items outside homes – such as bins, garden furniture, trampolines, tents, sheds and fences – are secure.
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The Met Office chief forecaster, Andy Page, said the outlook for the week was “very complicated” and he urged people to check for updates regularly and change plans accordingly.
“Almost the entire UK is covered by at least one weather warning during the coming week,” he said. “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.”
Thick fog descended for several days over the Christmas week, causing disruption at some of the UK’s busiest airports.
The weather is predicted to settle by next weekend, with no warnings in place at present for Friday or Saturday.