Scotland’s Hogmanay has been left in disarray as 2025 begins with torrential rain, wind and snow.
People were forced to stay indoors as 2024 drew to a miserable end, with a low pressure system swept across the UK.
In Edinburgh, tens of thousands of revellers were left disappointed after celebrations were cancelled, whilst events Newcastle and Blackpool among those to be axed amid the wild weather.
As the dangerous conditions swept across Scotland they caused a landslide, blocked roads and railway routes, and caused widespread flooding.
Parts of Highlands were the worst affected, where some gauges logged more than four inches of rainfall within just 36 hours.
But no area of the country was spared, with miserable conditions hitting everyone, causing chaos on roads, railways and ferries.
Pascal Lardet, flood duty manager at the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, said: ‘It’s been a difficult few days across Scotland, with weather causing widespread travel disruption to road and rail networks and impacts in communities.
‘Across many areas of the country there is still some deep standing water and it’s really important people are prepared and aware of the danger.’
Revellers in Edinburgh were faced with a washout as the Hogmanay street party was cancelled
The Hogmanay concert in Princes Street Gardens was also called off due to wild weather
And Grahame Madge, of the Met Office, said yesterday the weather presented a ‘multiple array of challenges and hazards, with wind, rain and snow all featuring in the weather warnings’.
As the complex area of low pressure moved across Britain it left a trail of disruption and New Year cancellations.
Amid the strong winds battering the UK a flight from Paris Charles de Gaulle was diverted from Newcastle to Edinburgh as strong gusts made landing south of the border challenging.
But despite that flight being able to seek refuge in the Scottish capital, where gusts between 50 and 60mph were forecast, large areas north of the Border was covered by a weather warning.
Because of rising waters caused by torrential downpours Network Rail were forced to close the Highland Main Line at Kingussie as a fast flowing burn rose so high it went over the bridge and onto the tracks.
There were 15 flooding incidents on the Far North Line, with Network Rail crews hampered by poor driving conditions and the closure of the A9 at Tomich, near Invergordon, because of flooding.
And with bus companies ruling road conditions were too hazardous, ScotRail said replacement busses were unable to operate.
There was disruption further south, too, with flooding at Carfin on the Glasgow Central to Edinburgh Waverley via Shotts line.
Safety barriers and infrastructure that would have been used for the Street Party in Edinburgh
Elsewhere people were hit by wet weather in Glasgow’s city centre
The ferry network was also hit, with sailings delayed and cancelled.
Drivers did not escape either with road disruption across Scotland including on the A832, which was closed yesterday morning after a landslide between Fortrose and Avoch on the Black Isle.
Sepa said there was a widespread risk of flooding along the rivers Spey, ness, Tay, Forth and Teith.
Mr Lardet urged people to stay alert as river levels rose, and said: ‘Hazards can be hidden, so please don’t walk or drive into flood water. Remember that not only is flood water likely to be dirty, 30 cm of fast flowing water can move an average family sized car, and just 15 cm of fast flowing water could be enough to knock you off your feet.’
The Met Office amber warning for heavy rain in part of the Highlands was in force until 5pm yesterday – but a separate rain and snow warning was in force until 4am this morning.
Hundreds of households were also left without power amid the bad weather yesterday, with engineers scrambled to restore electricity to the properties.
Large parts of the UK were hit by weather warnings yesterday, with a wind alerts stretching up from Hull through Newcastle and into the central belt in force until 11pm yesterday.
A yellow warning for rain blanketed most of Wales and parts of north west England – an alert which is in force until 11am today.
The last ferry sailing of the day by Calmac’s ‘The Isle of Arran’ departs Troon for Brodick in high seas
The railway line at Kingussie where flood water had put debis onto the line..
And wind is set to batter the south of England and Wales today *weds*, with a yellow warning there until 3pm.
Fireworks in Blackpool, Newcastle, and Lowestoft in Suffolk, were among those to be cancelled because of the bad weather.
But the cancellation of Edinburgh’s world famous Hogmanay was the most prominent and left tens of thousands scrambling to find a back-up plan.
Aditi Sahu, 35, and Neeraj Krishnan, 35, travelled from London and had planned their trip around the fireworks.
Mr Krishnan said: ‘We feel like we are stranded. We don’t really know what to do for New Year.’
Meanwhile Katharina Ende, 19, and Sophie Bolohlavek, 19, both from Lower Saxony, Germany, were left out of pocket after travelling up to Edinburgh only to find out the event had been called off.
Ms Ende, an international student who travelled from York, had been planning to spend three days in Edinburgh, and said: ‘We planned to go and watch the fireworks.
‘We are going to make the best of it, but it is sad.
Debris on the railway line between Helmsdale and Brora caused by heavy rainfall
‘I think there is still going to be a party. The city is beautiful and we have things to see too.’
Poor weather had seen Hogmanay celebrations in Edinburgh cancelled in 2003 just an hour before the street party was due to begin and again in 2006 because of another storm.
This week organisers said they were left with no other choice amid fears for public safety during the ‘extreme weather and forecast conditions’.
And yesterday Holyrood Culture Secretary Angus Robertson said the right decision had been made.
The Edinburgh MSP said: ‘I think everybody understands how disappointing that all outdoor celebrations of Edinburgh’s Hogmanay, the biggest New Year celebrations in the world, had to be cancelled but I think all reasonable people will understand the safety of attendees, of the staff, and of the performers has to take precedence.’
He told the BBC’s Today Programme organisers believed they took the decision ‘quite early’ and given the ‘extreme nature’ of the forecast it was ‘not the right thing to proceed’.
Mr Robertson said: ‘We shouldn’t lose sight of the fact that in some parts of the country, and in Scotland this would be especially around Aviemore and Speyside, there have been lots of concerns about literally life-threatening risks because of the weather situation.
‘So I think everybody will understand why safety comes first.’
Those hoping for clear, mild conditions once the band of bad weather has passed will be out of luck.
Instead, the 2025 looks as if it will start with chilly temperatures and weather warnings for some in the north as Arctic air blasts the country.
Mr Madge said: ‘During Wednesday and into Thursday areas of low pressure will give way to a much colder flow of air.
‘By Thursday it is likely the whole of the UK will experience a change to colder conditions, with this persisting into the weekend.’
There is a 29-hour yellow warning for snow and ice which is in force until 9am tomorrow (THUS), with forecasters warning for as much as four inches of snow in the worst hit areas of the Highlands.
