UK weather spells New Year's Eve washout with bad news for fireworks displays

19 December 2023 , 12:36

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A bit of rain won't stop people enjoying the festivities this year (Image: Getty Images)

If you have plans to ring in the new year by watching a fireworks display it might be a good idea to bring your waterproofs as new forecasts from the Met Office are predicting a washout.

Millions of Brits will turn their eyes to the sky on December 31 as traditional fireworks displays light up the night across the UK to mark the new year. However celebrations might fizzle if the latest long-range update from the Met Office is to be believed. Those in the east are most likely to have a clear view of the firework displays, with cloud and rain likely across the west meaning this New Year’s Eve could end up being a damp squib for many this year.

In the forecast spanning Saturday December 23 to Monday 1 Jan forecasters said: “On Saturday, a band of rain sinks erratically south, perhaps wintry over hills. To the north, a colder showery airmass, these wintry in places, mainly over high ground, and milder conditions further south.

Weather map 23rd Dec 2023 (Met Office)

However a spot of good news, some of us might get a dusting of snow this festive season, according to the forecast: “The Christmas period is most likely to start with a colder, showery, northerly airflow in situ across much of the country, perhaps with the exception of the far south, bringing some snowfall, mainly across hills in the north. This interlude is likely to be short-lived, before a milder, westerly flow returns, which may lead to a risk of some transient snow to lower levels for a time.”

Weather map 24th Dec 2023 (Met Office)

“A continuation of this pattern most probable towards New Year's Eve,” the experts warned, “with the majority of cloud and rain likely across the west, and drier, brighter conditions more probable in the east.” As we head into the new year the temperatures will continue to drop further for Brits, they said.

Gales, snow and rain to batter country today with 80mph wind gusts

Weather map 25th Dec 2023 (Met Office)

The forecast from January 2 to 16 said conditions would remain “unsettled with bands of rain crossing the UK with brighter conditions and showers in between. The wettest and windiest conditions are most likely in the north and west. Short-lived colder spells remain possible, with hazards such as snow and ice, particularly in the north. The chance of these colder spells slightly increases moving through January, with a low likelihood of a more prolonged spell of cold weather developing around mid-month.”

Joe Smith