We are closing this blog now. Stay dry, stay safe and have a happy new year!
A three-day heavy snow warning has been issued by the Met Office as thousands of households mopped up after torrential new year rain led to flooded properties, travel chaos and power cuts.
Temperatures could plunge to well below freezing at the weekend with up to a foot of snow across England, Scotland and Wales – leading to rural areas being cut off, schools closures and road, rail and flight problems, forecasters said.
The warning was issued on what was a miserable start to 2025 for many parts of the UK, including Greater Manchester, where a major incident was declared at noon because of flooding caused by a dramatic overnight downpour…
Bristol City Council and St Mungo’s charity are providing emergency support to rough sleepers due to the severe weather.
In a post on X, the council said it has activated its “severe weather emergency protocol” which will see more outreach shifts, where rough sleepers are identified and linked up with accommodation.
According to the UK Security Agency Cold weather periods often increase the number of homeless deaths. “People sleeping rough are at greater risk from cold weather than others. Sleeping rough increases the risk of cold-related illness and death.”
Greater Manchester has been impacted by the most severe bouts of flooding on New Year’s Day, and a cold snap is forecast for the weekend.
A spokesperson from Manchester City Council says help will be available but “there’s nothing above and beyond what we always do. There is always support in place all year round regardless. There is a support service stepped up, but there is nothing above and beyond.”
On the council’s website, Councillor Joanna Midgley, Deputy Leader of Manchester City Council said:
“We work year-round to help people off the streets, giving them access to the support they need to help them get on with their lives.
However, as it gets colder, people are more likely to accept help and come inside. This is why we expand our outreach offer and our officers, along with partner agencies, work into the early hours seeking out people who have bedded down so that we can offer them the opportunity to come indoors and access additional support.
This is especially important as sometimes coming inside in cold weather is the impetus that they need to accept help that we, along with our partners, can provide. It is often the first step on the road to a better, healthier future.”
Greater Manchester bore the brunt of flooding on the first day of 2025. Here are some pictures from a soaking wet New Year’s Day:
Updated
Summary of the day so far…
Major incident declared in Greater Manchester after heavy flooding in the region. Police say they are supporting clean-up operations which taking place following floods across Greater Manchester in Bolton, Didsbury, Harpurhey, Stalybridge, Stockport and Wigan - along with the Environment Agency, National Highways and the fire service. Emergency services are receiving reports of “damage, risk to life and stranded vehicles”.
The Environment Agency has issued more than 150 flood warnings across the UK as wind and rain is poised to bombard much of the country on 2025’s maiden day. New Year’s Eve events across the country were cancelled due to bad weather - although celebrations in Manchester and London went ahead.
Met Office issues three-day snow warning for almost all of England and parts of Scotland this weekend. A yellow warning is in place from 12pm on Saturday until 9am on Monday and covers all regions of England other than the south west. Wales will be affected as will parts of southern Scotland.
Greater Manchester was covered with red flood warnings from the Environment Agency. An amber warning for rain remains in force in northern and eastern parts of the region; the rest of Greater Manchester hit with a yellow weather warning. A train firm has told railway passengers in northern England not to travel due to severe flooding. TransPennine Express says Greater Manchester and Cheshire are the worst affected areas. Passengers were urged not to travel until the afternoon. Multiple flood alerts are also in force across Merseyside.
A mountain rescue team is in attendance at Meadow Mill in Stockport, where residents have been trapped due to a flood, the Manchester Evening News reports. Flooding has submerged many of the cars parked outside the block flats. Rescuers are working to release residents.
Wales was battered by heavy rain and high winds this morning, with major disruptions to travel across roads and railways. Landslips, flooding, and power cuts have been reported.
Over the last two days parts of the North West of England have experienced around a month’s worth of rain, Met Office meteorologist Tom Morgan says. “There’s still probably likely to be further flooding across the course of the day, I’m expecting further issues this afternoon,” Morgan said. “We are potentially expecting the flood situation to get worse before it gets better.”
Wigan Athletic’s game against Huddersfield Town has been postponed due to flooding, the club had just announced. Latics told fans that heavy rainfall on New Year’s Eve had made roads in the area dangerous to drive. “Safety concerns regarding the public areas surrounding the ground and the strain on local emergency services dealing with a number of major incidents, which have been affected by severe flooding, led to the league fixture being called off,” the League One side said. Meanwhile, Rochdale v Altrincham has been postponed in the National League, and Chorley v Buxton in National League North.
Massive sink hole opens up in Hyde, Greater Manchester.
A resident had a terrifying start to their day as a sinkhole opened up in the road on Taylor Gardens, Hyde, this morning.
— Tameside Correspondent (@TamesideCorr) January 1, 2025
Incessant heavy rain on December 31 meant many areas have been affected
One end of the close is now inaccessible to vehicles. pic.twitter.com/todmrW0W3I
National Rail issues warning as travel disruption continues
National Rail has warned anybody travelling today that the weather will affect Transport for Wales services until tomorrow
“Flooding is causing disruption to a number of routes across the Transport for Wales network. Trains may be cancelled, delayed or diverted,” a spokesperson said.
Flooding between Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester Oxford Road has blocked all lines. Trains running between these stations will be cancelled. Disruption is expected until 3pm.
Flooding between Manchester Airport and Manchester Piccadilly has disrupted all lines. Trains are now able to run, however, at a reduced speed. As a result of this, trains may be cancelled or revised.
Disruption through St Albans is expected until 3pm and further north, no trains are expected between Cleethorpes and Barton-on-Humber until 4.30pm.
Lines have reopened between Shotton and Bidston. Trains running between these stations may still be cancelled whilst services recover.
Updated
Unmitigated climate change will increase the likelihood of extreme weather events like the high winds and flooding being experienced across the UK today.
In May last year, Dr Friederike Otto, a climate scientist at Imperial College London and co-founder of WWA, told the Guardian that: “To put it bluntly, climate change is already making life shittier. Wetter winters are flooding farms, cancelling football matches, overflowing sewage systems and [making] groceries more expensive.
“Thankfully, we know the solutions. Replace oil, gas and coal with cleaner, cheaper renewable sources of energy; insulate homes, and restore nature. All this will make life cheaper and better for all, not more expensive.”
Extreme weather also hits people hard in their pockets, with previous storms and flooding causing weather-related home insurance claims to rocket by over a third, reaching a record-breaking £573m worth of claims.
Around 15% of the general population does not have insurance, with many unable to afford it.
Updated
East Midlands trains have stopped running between Liverpool and Manchester
The rail operator has reported that flooding remains between Manchester Oxford Road and Widnes.
Trains on the Liverpool / Nottingham / Norwich route have ceased operations between Manchester and Liverpool.
Arrangements are in place with other operators to keep travellers on the move.
A mountain rescue team is in attendance at Meadow Mill in Stockport, where residents have been trapped due to a flood, the Manchester Evening News reports.
Flooding has submerged many of the cars parked outside the block flats. Rescuers are working to release residents.
Dexter, a resident of the building has told Sky News that emergency services have advised him it’s safer to stay in the building - which has no power - rather than be rescued.
He says they were told they would be rescued but have since been informed that it’s better to wait for the flooding to subside
Updated
Cross county League One clash postponed due to flooding
Wigan Athletic’s game against Huddersfield Town has been postponed due to flooding, the club had just announced.
Latics told fans that heavy rainfall on New Year’s Eve had made roads in the area dangerous to drive.
“Safety concerns regarding the public areas surrounding the ground and the strain on local emergency services dealing with a number of major incidents, which have been affected by severe flooding, led to the league fixture being called off,” the League One side said.
“Access to the area is severely restricted with many access routes closed due to flooding, and the emergency services are unable to provide resources to support the matchday operation.
“The news is naturally disappointing as Shaun Maloney and his players were looking forward to the highly-anticipated New Year’s Day fixture, but the safety of both sets of supporters is of paramount importance.”
The club added that a new date for the match would be announced in “due course.” All tickets for today’s postponed match will remain valid.
Meanwhile, Rochdale v Altrincham has been postponed in the National League, and Chorley v Buxton in National League North.
Updated
Here’s some pictures from London’s soaking wet New Year’s Day parade:
More from the Met Office’s meteorologist Tom Morgan on this weekend’s incoming snow:
At the moment we’ve issued a very large snow warning for Saturday until Monday but it doesn’t mean that everywhere within that warning could see snow, it’s just a heads-up there could be some impacts.
It’s definitely going to start off as snow in many places but it’s a question of how quickly that snow melts and turns back to rain, it’s more likely that the snow won’t last that long in southern England. It’s quite likely the warning will be updated quite frequently between now and the weekend.
Certainly if you’ve got travel plans on Sunday and perhaps Monday stay tuned into the forecast.”
Here’s more on the warning for snow issued by Met Office for this weekend
⚠️ Yellow weather warning issued ⚠️
— Met Office (@metoffice) January 1, 2025
A risk of snow across parts of Scotland, England and Wales
Saturday 1200 – Monday 0900
Latest info 👉 https://t.co/QwDLMfRBfs
Stay #WeatherAware⚠️ pic.twitter.com/38go97OR7a
Here’s some more pictures of today’s flooding:
Updated
Floods lead to major incident being declared in Manchester
Police say they are supporting clean-up operations which taking place following floods across Greater Manchester in Bolton, Didsbury, Harpurhey, Stalybridge, Stockport and Wigan - along with the Environment Agency, National Highways and the fire service.
Emergency services are receiving reports of “damage, risk to life and stranded vehicles”.
Chief Superintendent Colette Rose with the Greater Manchester Police said:
Following events overnight a major incident has been declared.
This is to ensure we can continue to keep people safe through a co-ordinated effort from our collective emergency services, supported by key partner agencies.
Anyone affected should check the relevant detail being shared by their local council, the fire service and Transport for Greater Manchester to ensure they can get the support available, which include any road closures and information centres for those displaced.
It is advised to travel if it is only necessary and to take care if out and about.
Our officers with the fire service are in the key locations and can be spoken to if you need anything urgently, as we understand the distress those affected will be faced with as we begin 2025.
It will be a continued team effort as we monitor how the weather and water levels progress throughout today.”
Updated
Snow set to hit Wales this weekend
The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for snow due to hit Wales this weekend
The weather agency forecasts:
Outbreaks of rain spreading northeastwards later on Saturday and overnight into Sunday will likely be preceded by a spell of snow on its northern flank. Whilst there is a fair bit of uncertainty as to how far north this may spread, and how long any snow will last, significant accumulations of snow are possible, especially (but not exclusively) on hills.
Currently parts of the Midlands, Wales, and northern England are most at risk of disruption, where 5cm or more could accumulate fairly widely with perhaps as much as 20-30 cm over high ground of Wales and/or the Pennines. This, accompanied by strengthening winds, may lead to drifting of lying snow.
In addition, as milder air attempts to move northwards into southern and central areas, snow may turn to a spell of freezing rain for a time, adding to the risk of ice. If milder air is able to spread more bodily northwards any snow in southern parts of the warning area may be relatively short-lived before turning to rain. Given the uncertainties it is quite likely this warning area and start/end times will be refined over the coming days as confidence increases in areas most likely to be impacted.
Updated
Almost all of England could be hit by snow this weekend
Met Office issues three-day snow warning for almost all of England and parts of Scotland this weekend.
A yellow warning is in place from 12pm on Saturday until 9am on Monday and covers all regions of England other than the south west. Wales will be affected as will parts of southern Scotland.
The Met Office has warned that rural communities could become cut off. There is also a small chance of power cuts and disruption to mobile phone coverage, as well as delays and cancellations to flights, trains and other transport.
Updated
Nine million homes will face higher energy bills from Wednesday as Britain braces for freezing temperatures and snow warnings for the new year period.
The average energy bill for households across England, Scotland and Wales will rise by 1.2% from New Year’s Day to £1,738 a year for a typical household after the energy regulator raised its cap on gas and electricity charges.
The rising price cap is expected to pile pressure on household finances during the coldest months of the year when millions of homes have already racked up record levels of debt to their energy suppliers…
Snow incoming across Scotland and rain to continue in England
Up to 10cm of snowfall is possible in hilly regions around the UK. 3cm likely at low levels as the snow moves south on Wednesday morning. It will snow throughout the afternoon, overnight and into Thursday morning, the Met Office said.
Central and southern Scotland will see below freezing temperatures by late afternoon, reaching as low as -5C overnight. “Overnight temperatures will widely fall below freezing, perhaps reaching minus double digits in areas of Scotland already covered in snow,” it warned.
This could lead to icy roads and pavements leading to further travel disruption and risk of injuries “from slips and falls on icy surfaces”.
Meanwhile, the rain across northern England and Wales is showing no sign of going away.
The forecaster says: “Wintry showers are expected to affect the far north and east at times, but away from these, sunshine will be much more widespread than in recent days.
Updated
People are trapped in a block of flats in Stockport without running water, the BBC reports.
Helen Scott, who lives in a flat inside a converted mill in Stockport told the BBC she had to “wade through knee-deep water”.
“I had a little bit of sleep and I’ve woken up to all of the car park and the entire first floor completely submerged in water,” Scott said.
“Can’t get in, can’t get out, the fire brigade are here.
“They’re currently using a boat to bring some fresh water into the building because all of the residents have no running water, no electricity, I haven’t even had a shower yet post-New Year’s Eve.”
Scott, who lives on the top floor, said water had submerged many of the cars in the building’s car park, including her own.
“The fact I’ve still got a couple of Proseccos still in me has taken the edge of this situation,” she joked.
“Give me a couple of hours and I think the horror of the start of 2025 is going to sink in.”
Updated
Transport for Wales is urging rail travellers to check before travelling as some services are being disrupted by flooding and falling trees.
TfW said a tree was blocking the line between Swansea and Shrewsbury via Llanwrtyd with disruption expected until the end of the day.
There are also fallen trees along the line between Blaenau Ffestiniog and Llandudno Junction, causing this section in north Wales to be closed.
Across the border in south-west England, sporting events including a number of open water swims have been cancelled.
A swim at Minehead to raise money for St Margaret’s hospice was called off. It said: “We’re sad to announce that we have had to postpone the new year’s day charity dip. This is due to adverse weather conditions following the yellow weather warning issued by the Met Office.”
Woodchester mansion at Nympsfield in Gloucestershire was among the attractions closed. It said:”Theweather forecast is for lots of rain and wind gusts up to 50mph, so we have decided to cancel the opening.
“The approach to the Mansion is down a one mile long wooded track, and while our neighbours the National Trust take good care of the woodland, we are concerned about fallen branches blocking access. We have to make a decision in advance so everyone can be informed.”
Here are some pictures of today’s severe weather
Choppy waters batter a ferry off the coast of Dover
People in Wales inexplicably decide to take a dip in the sea
Flooding surrounds cars in Manchester
Updated
London delays New Year's Day parade due to high winds
London’s New Year’s Day Parade, which meanders through the city’s West End has been delayed by 30 minutes due to high winds.
It was due to start at noon but will now start half an hour later. Organisers have also dropped plans to include inflatable cartoon characters due to concerns they might blow away.
Peter Andre is due to perform at the parade, supported by singer Rika and Britain’s Got Talent finalist Connie Talbot, along with 19 marching bands, dance groups and cheerleaders.
“It will be a New Year’s honour”, said Andre. “Headlining such an incredible event, for an enormous global audience on January 1st, is going to be such brilliant fun – and it’s free for London to come and watch, and those watching on TV around the World. 2025 is going to be a great year career wise for me with films and new music coming out. I can’t wait!”
Updated
Met Office meteorologist Tom Morgan says “There’s still probably likely to be further flooding across the course of the day, I’m expecting further issues this afternoon.
“We are potentially expecting the flood situation to get worse before it gets better.”
What are weather warnings and what do the colours mean?
The Met Office provides weather warnings when dangerous weather is forecasted; usually for wind, rain, snow and heat.
The severity of weather is colour-coded from yellow to amber and red. These warnings only cover parts of the country that are affected and can remain in place for up to several days.
Here is how the Met Office explains its warning system:
Yellow Warning:
Yellow warnings can be issued for a range of weather situations. Many are issued when it is likely that the weather will cause some low level impacts, including some disruption to travel in a few places. Many people may be able to continue with their daily routine, but there will be some that will be directly impacted and so it is important to assess if you could be affected. Other yellow warnings are issued when the weather could bring much more severe impacts to the majority of people but the certainty of those impacts occurring is much lower. It is important to read the content of yellow warnings to determine which weather situation is being covered by the yellow warning.
Amber Warning:
There is an increased likelihood of impacts from severe weather, which could potentially disrupt your plans. This means there is the possibility of travel delays, road and rail closures, power cuts and the potential risk to life and property. You should think about changing your plans and taking action to protect yourself and your property. You may want to consider the impact of the weather on your family and your community and whether there is anything you need to do ahead of the severe weather to minimise the impact.
Red Warning:
Dangerous weather is expected and, if you haven’t already done so, you should take action now to keep yourself and others safe from the impact of the severe weather. It is very likely that there will be a risk to life, with substantial disruption to travel, energy supplies and possibly widespread damage to property and infrastructure. You should avoid travelling, where possible, and follow the advice of the emergency services and local authorities.
North west of England endures a month’s worth of rain
Over the last two days parts of the North West of England have experienced around a month’s worth of rain, Met Office meteorologist Tom Morgan says.
“There’s still probably likely to be further flooding across the course of the day, I’m expecting further issues this afternoon,” Morgan said.
“We are potentially expecting the flood situation to get worse before it gets better.”
Honister Pass in Cumbria saw nearly 150mm of rain, while Rochdale had 77mm.
More than 130 flood warnings, meaning flooding is expected, are in place for England, 10 for Wales and 32 for Scotland.
Updated
New Year’s Day events cancelled across the country
Swims across Wales, including Newport, St Davids and Haverfordwest, were called off while the Royal National Lifeboat Institution also cancelled its annual dip in Porthdinllaen, Gwynedd.
A parkrun in Hampshire taking place along forest trails at Alice Holt has been cancelled. Organisers said: “Sorry folks, not the start to the New Year we’d hoped for, but due to high winds the Alice Holt parkrun New Years Day event is now cancelled. Stay safe out there. See you on Saturday.”
In Oxford the University Parks on South Parks Road, which was due to host a New Year’s Day special parkrun, was postponed.
Organisers said: “We hope to be back up and running on Saturday and very much hope you will be able to join us for the first University Parks parkrun of 2025”.
Chris Cousens, regional water safety lead at the RNLI, said: “We know the predicted high winds are likely to lead to dangerous coastal conditions.
“If you plan on visiting the coast on New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day, the RNLI advises you to be aware of the local risks and weather conditions.”
He urged people to “remember to float to live” if in danger of drowning.
“Lie back in the water, extend your arms and legs and try to relax as best you can until you get control of your breathing,” he said.
“If you see someone else in danger in the water, call 999 or 112 and ask for the Coastguard. If you have something that floats that they can hold on to, throw it to them. Don’t go in the water yourself as you may end up in difficulty too.”
Updated
Mountain rescue workers took two days to recover the body of a man who went for a walk with his dog on Helvellyn in the Lake District and fell 180 metres to his death, the News and Star reports.
The man was reported missing by his wife, who was at home on Sunday.
At 1am on Monday, Patterdale and Keswick rescuers battled through appalling weather, eventually discovering the man’s bike and phone, but didn’t find him or his labrador. The search was called off half an hour later and resumed at first light.
In the late morning, the man’s dog was found alive on a ledge; a short time later, rescuers found the man, confirming he had succumbed to a fall of around 180 metres (590 feet) on England’s third-highest mountain.
The incident took 20 hours to resolve over two days and involved mountain rescuers from Patterdale, Keswick, Langdale Ambleside, Cockermouth, Penrith and Kirkby Stephen units, three dogs from Lake District Search And Rescue and two coastguard helicopters. In total, 68 rescue workers took part in the search.
A spokesperson from the Patterdale team: “We would like to send our condolences to the man’s family and friends and our thanks to the various teams and helicopter crews who assisted with the search and subsequent recovery.”
Updated
Wales was battered by heavy rain and high winds this morning, with major disruptions to travel across roads and railways. Landslips, flooding, and power cuts have been reported.
Two weather warnings for wind and rain are currently in force for the region. A 24-hour weather warning for rain started at 6pm on New Year’s Eve and is due to end at 6pm. The warning covers the whole country.
There is severe disruption across the rail network, with delays on many Transport for Wales lines and cancellations to travel links to Manchester Airport and Manchester Piccadilly.
People have been urged to steer clear from coastal areas until conditions settle. Natural Resources Wales said: “With a yellow wind warning in force today, we’re urging people to keep away from coastal paths and promenades. Spray and large waves can be dangerous and can flood properties.”
2025’s tempestuous start is also affecting Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.
Both counties are seeing heavy rain and strong winds today with three “danger to life” weather warnings in place.
A yellow warning for heavy rain across Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire has been in place since 3pm on New Year’s Eve and is due to remain until 11am.
A yellow weather warning for strong winds began at 12.15am and should remain until 3pm. The Environment Agency has warned that flooding is possible in a number of areas.
The Met Office warns that “fast flowing or deep floodwater is possible, causing a danger to life. There is a small chance of injuries and danger to life from flying debris.”
Updated
New Year’s Eve events across the country were cancelled due to bad weather - although celebrations in Manchester and London went ahead.
Hogmanay in Edinburgh, billed as “one of the greatest outdoor celebrations of New Year’s Eve in the world”, was cancelled yesterday.
Scottish rock band Texas were due to perform in Princes Street Gardens ahead of a customary fireworks display at Edinburgh Castle.
New Year’s revellers in Blackpool had to make do with a light show on the famous Blackpool Tower as the annual fireworks show was called off.
Newcastle’s quayside display was cancelled by the city council, saying: “Safety always comes first, and the forecast has made it clear that continuing would pose risks to those attending, as well as our event teams working on-site.”
Ripon’s New Year’s Eve bash also came a cropper due to high winds and yellow warnings.
Meanwhile, the Isle of Wight dropped plans to welcome in the new year “due to the severity of the swell of the water forecast”, which would have beached rescue vessels in emergency situations.
Updated
Heavy rain which fell overnight is causing significant disruption on New Year’s Day across Greater Manchester, the Manchester Evening News reports.
Greater Manchester is covered with red flood warnings from the Environment Agency. An amber warning for rain is in force in northern and eastern parts of the region; the rest of Greater Manchester hit with a yellow weather warning.
A train firm has told railway passengers in northern England not to travel due to severe flooding.
TransPennine Express says Greater Manchester and Cheshire are the worst affected areas. Passengers have been urged not to travel until the afternoon.
Multiple flood alerts are also in force across Merseyside.
Merseyrail is reporting some disruption to services due to flooding, while train services between Manchester Oxford Road and Liverpool Lime Street are at a stand still.
Updated
Major roads are shut and flood warnings are in place across Yorkshire.
Heavy rain has caused rivers to swell and has made many roads, including the Snake Pass, impossible to pass across South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire and North Yorkshire on New Year’s Day.
Areas across the Yorkshire Dales, in and around Hawes, are experiencing flooded roads.
There are 35 flood alerts in North Yorkshire and 23 alerts in West Yorkshire,
The weather warnings in place across the UK include:
An amber rain warning over parts of North West England until 9am on Wednesday.
A yellow warning for rain for much of Wales and north-west England until 11am on Wednesday.
In the north of Scotland’s mainland a yellow warning for snow and ice is in force from 04:00 on Wednesday until 9am on Thursday.
A yellow warning of wind for Wales and large parts of England from 12:15am until 3pm on Wednesday.
The UK has welcomed 2025 with fireworks and celebrations in London, but many events across the country were cancelled due to bad weather.
Tens of thousands of people attended the annual event in the capital, with millions more tuning in on television.
Speaking ahead of the spectacle, the London mayor, Sadiq Khan, said: “I’m really excited about the London New Year’s Eve fireworks, the biggest fireworks taking place anywhere across Europe…”
Updated
New Year’s Eve events across the country were cancelled due to bad weather - although celebrations in Manchester and London went ahead.
Hogmanay in Edinburgh, billed as “one of the greatest outdoor celebrations of New Year’s Eve in the world”’, was cancelled yesterday. Scottish rock band Texas were due to perform in Princes Street Gardens ahead of a customary fireworks display at Edinburgh Castle.
New Year’s revellers in the seaside town of Blackpool had to make do with a light show on the famous Blackpool Tower as the annual fireworks show was called off.
Newcastle’s quayside display was cancelled by the city council, saying: “Safety always comes first, and the forecast has made it clear that continuing would pose risks to those attending, as well as our event teams working on-site.”
Ripon’s New Year’s Eve bash also came a cropper due to high winds and yellow warnings.
Meanwhile, in the English Channel, the Isle of Wight dropped their plans to welcome in the new year ‘due to the severity of the swell of the water forecast’, which would have beached rescue vessels in emergency situations.
Key event
The Environment Agency had warned people not to travel last night.
Don't risk it during wild weather on #NYE2025
— Env Agency NW (@EnvAgencyNW) December 31, 2024
There's heavy rain through the night, please get home safe. Don't walk/drive through flood water. Stay away from swollen rivers.
Our teams are out working to reduce flood risk, using assets like the flood gates at Woolley Bridge. pic.twitter.com/WTqPYsG20i
Updated
UK issues over 150 flood warnings on first day of 2025
The Environment Agency has issued more than 150 flood warnings across the UK as wind and rain is poised to bombard much of the country on 2025’s maiden day.
Heavy and persistent rain tonight and into tomorrow means river levels are likely to be high across the North of England, Pennines and parts of the Midlands until the end of the week, with significant inland flooding possible until Thursday and minor impacts possible on Friday.
Stefan Laeger, Flood Duty Manager at the Environment Agency, said:
Environment Agency teams will be out on the ground, operating flood defences, taking action to reduce the impact of flooding, issuing flood warnings and supporting those communities affected.
We advise anyone travelling or out celebrating the New Year to be especially careful and urge people to stay away from swollen rivers and not to drive through flood water as just 30cm of flowing water is enough to move your car.
People should search ‘check my flood risk’, sign up for free flood warnings, and keep up to date with the latest situation at @EnvAgency on X.
The Met Office also issued yellow and amber warnings for wind and rain for much of Wales, north west England, Yorkshire, the East Midlands and southern England.
A warning for snow and ice has also been issued for northern Scotland.
Updated
Wind and rain batters UK
Good morning and happy new year as the UK braces for a stormy start to 2025.
North-West England is bearing the brunt of the rain this morning, although Met Office weather warnings are in place across large parts of England, Wales and Scotland on New Year’s Day.
An amber alert is in place for North-West England until 9am with the Met Office earlier saying heavy rain had fallen across the region for several hours.
The forecaster said it was expected to affect parts of Cheshire, Derbyshire and South Yorkshire for a few hours.
The Met Office warning stretches from Settle in the Yorkshire Dales across to Preston and down to parts of the Peak District.
It states that heavy rainfall is “likely to lead to disruption including flooding in some locations” with a chance some places could see more than 10cm of rain. Stay with us this morning for more on the weather and its effect on new year travel and event plans.
