New Year celebrated across world amid new UK weather alert and cancelled events: live

Heavy rain will lash parts of the UK to begin 2025 after New Year’s Eve celebrations across the country were cancelled.

An amber warning for heavy rain has been put in place across parts of North-West England until 9am on New Year’s Day.

The Met Office warning stretches from Settle in the Yorkshire Dales across to Preston and down to parts of the Peak District.

The warning states that heavy rain is “likely to lead to disruption including flooding in some locations” with a chance some places could see more than 10cm of rain.

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.

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.

Thousands of people saw in 2025 on the banks of the River Thames as London defied weather concerns with a spectacular firework display.

The weather forced outdoor celebrations in Edinburgh and other places across the UK to be cancelled, but London’s annual display went ahead in clear skies.

After Big Ben marked the start of the new year, the 11-minute display began with the message “Your New Year Is Unwritten”.

To a diverse soundtrack covering the likes of Vera Lynn, Sir Elton John, Travis, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, One Direction and Charli XCX with voiceovers from people including Dame Imelda Staunton and Sir Ian McKellen, the celebration looked back at 2024 with topics including the weather, the Paris Olympics and Paralympics, Euro 2024.

The celebration doubled as a 25th birthday party for the London Eye, which provided the centre point for the fireworks, with the message to “honour our history and never give up hope for our future”.

The mayor’s office said around 100,000 ticketholders had attended the display, which included more than 12,000 fireworks and 420 lights.

Revellers have cheered in the new year around the world – including millions across the UK, despite bad weather forcing the cancellation of many celebrations.

From Sydney to Mumbai and Nairobi, communities around the world began welcoming 2025 with spectacular light shows, embraces and ice plunges.

But a storm bringing bitter weather put a dampener on festivities in the UK, with a number of celebrations scrapped.

Edinburgh’s Hogmanay events, which include a street party and fireworks, were cancelled due to safety concerns.

Meanwhile, fireworks displays in Blackpool, Newcastle, Ripon in North Yorkshire, and the Isle of Wight were all axed.

However, London’s New Year’s Eve fireworks went ahead as planned as the capital defied weather concerns with a spectacular display that saw thousands gather on the banks of the River Thames.

The show was organised by the mayor of London, Sir Sadiq Khan, who had declared it the “biggest fireworks taking place anywhere across Europe”.

Read the full recap from Tara Cobham:

Revelers braved the rain in Times Square as New York welcomed 2025.

Frank Sinatra’s New York New York sounded through the square as confetti fell from the skyscrapers.

New Year’s Eve in Times Square is one of the most significant challenges for the New York Police Department, which, along with state and federal agencies, is monitoring the area with more than 70,000 cameras, roadblocks, heavy trucks, and drones.

“I’m not scared at all — this is the safest I’ve ever felt in a long time,” Tiffany Lopez, 41, told the New York Post.

“Security was very tight. Made me feel very safe,” she added. “It’s an epic experience — something a New Yorker never does. You’re in the middle of Times Square, and it’s raining, and people are so happy.”

Tommy Onfolo, from Long Island, told the paper that this was his eighth year celebrating in Times Square. He arrived at 6 a.m. to get a good spot.

“There’s no other place to be than on Times Square on New Year’s — especially when the confetti falls!” he said.

“Not all worried about the rain. I’m a lifeguard and diving board coach in the summer, water doesn’t bother me,” he told the Post.

Instead of the traditional boisterous street partying on New Years Eve, tens of thousands of protesters led by university students gathered overnight in Belgrade and other Serbian cities to demand political reforms and justice in the Balkan country.

The protesters have been actively demonstrating following the tragic collapse of a concrete canopy in the northern town of Novi Sad’s central train station on Nov. 1, which resulted in 15 fatalities.

The mishap has been attributed to corruption and substandard construction practices by the populist Serbian leadership, leading to widespread public outcry and demands for accountability.