New Year’s Eve plans have been disrupted in parts of the UK tonight – with wild winds banning fireworks.
The decision to cancel the festivities in southern England was made at the last minute after the Met Office issued yellow weather warnings.
8
Fireworks are banned in the south of the UK due to wild weather (stock)Credit: Getty
8
Wild winds are causing chaos today, including Porthcawl, WalesCredit: LNP
8
It comes after what is believed to be a small tornado hit Devon last night
8
Gusts of wind will blow tonight as Britons ring in the New YearCredit: Met Office
A 75km/h gale lashing the south of the county has forced the cancellation of Plymouth’s Winter Wonderland and fireworks event in the Devon town this afternoon.
Organizers of the Plymouth event said: “As deeply disappointed and frustrated as we are, your safety comes first, as does ours, and we can’t take any chances.”
In Devon, Barnstaple Town Center Management said it had banned fireworks due to the weather.
They said: “Unfortunately, due to weather conditions and gale-force winds, we will not be able to perform the fireworks tonight for safety reasons.
“We know this is disappointing, but safety is always a priority and unfortunately we cannot control the weather.”
Yellow weather warnings are now in place for parts of the country, with winds likely to hit the south of the country and rain expected to ease in the south.
It is expected that the storm will affect the entire southern coast of the country, as well as the western one, while the gusts will hit to the east.
Forecasters have warned that the storm will start blowing at around 10am today, until 11.59pm – as Britons welcome the year 2024.
And as the storm hits, rain is expected to fall at the same time and across the country.
It looks like it will be extremely wet in Blackpool, Blackburn, Bolton and as far as Lancaster from 6pm until 6am tomorrow.
Two million revelers are expected to fill the country’s 40,000 bars tonight.
Of those, more than 100,000 people are likely to flock to central London for the midnight fireworks – with tens of thousands flocking to Edinburgh’s Hogmanay.
But with the Met Office issuing a tornado warning for southern parts of the UK and Ireland yesterday, many may choose to stay at home.
Asda is said to have sold a bottle of bubbly every second, while selling two million bottles of spirits.
And that’s not surprising, because forecasters are now warning that wild winds could cause travel chaos today, as they are accompanied by heavy downpours.
It warned that road, rail, air and ferry services were likely to be affected, while coastlines could become dangerous with large waves.
They also warned that vehicles with high sides need to be careful on the roads, while there could be power cuts across the UK.
A wind warning covers the area from Cardigan in Wales, to Truro and as far as Folkestone – with gusts likely to reach 75mph on the coasts.
The Met Office has warned that heavy rain will fall north of Manchester, which could cause flooding in homes and affect travel.
It came after what appeared to be a small tornado touched down in Devon last night – just hours after the watch was put in place.
8
Motorists have already had to wade through flooded roads in Dunsden, Oxfordshire this morningCredit: Rex
8
York was submerged in floodwaters after the River Ouse burst its banks yesterdayCredit: PA
8
Rain likely to continue as Britons welcome 2024 Credit: Met Office
8
Drivers were forced to wade through a flooded road in Wiltshire this morningCredit: SWNS
Categories: Optical Illusion
Source: HIS Education