UK Braces for Wet and Windy New Year’s Eve as Low Pressure Dominates

The UK has experienced the warmest New Year's Eve and New Year's Day on record, with temperatures soaring above 15°C in some parts of the country, according to the Met Office.

The unusually mild weather, caused by warm air from the Azores, has also forced the closure of some popular ice rink attractions, as the ice melted under the sun.

How warm was it and where?

(Photo : HENRY NICHOLLS/AFP via Getty Images)

The previous record for the warmest New Year's Eve was 14.8°C, set in Colwyn Bay, north Wales, in 20112.

However, this was broken twice on Friday, as Ryehill, in East Yorkshire, recorded 14.9°C at 11am, and Coningsby, in Lincolnshire, reached 15.3°C an hour later.

The Met Office said these were provisional figures and could be revised later.

The warmest New Year's Day on record was also set on Saturday, as St James's Park in central London saw temperatures of 16.3°C, beating the previous record of 15.6°C in Bude, Cornwall, in 1916.

The Met Office said this was the second day in a row that new high temperatures were set for the UK.

The mild weather was widespread across the country, with areas of southern and eastern England, including the West Country, London and Lincolnshire, experiencing the highest temperatures.

In Bournemouth, on England's south coast, people strolled along the seafront enjoying the sunshine. In Berkshire, some people had New Year's Eve ice creams, as visitors to Windsor enjoyed the alfresco cafes.

Why did some ice rinks close and what did people say?

The unseasonably warm temperature forced the closure of some ice rink attractions, such as Somerset House and Hampton Court in London, on Thursday and Friday.

Somerset House tweeted that the quality of the ice was not sufficient to ensure the safety of their customers.

Hampton Court also apologised for the inconvenience and offered refunds or rescheduling to those who had booked tickets.

Some people expressed their disappointment at missing out on the festive activity, while others were amused by the irony of the situation.

One Twitter user wrote: "Ice skating at Somerset House cancelled due to warm weather. You couldn't make it up." Another user joked: "Ice skating at Hampton Court cancelled due to global warming. Happy New Year everyone!"

However, not everyone was unhappy with the warm weather. Some people welcomed the change from the usual cold and wet winter, and said they enjoyed spending time outdoors.

Also Read: UK Weather Update: Met Office Warns of Dangerous Snow, Ice Conditions; Flood Warnings Reported

What is the outlook for the next few days?

The Met Office said the warm weather was due to winds coming from the south and south-west, bringing very warm air from the Azores, which is nearly all the way from the tropics.

However, this will not last for long, as the weather is expected to turn colder and more unsettled from Tuesday onwards.

BBC weather forecaster Ben Rich said: "Around Tuesday it will be much colder as the southerly winds are replaced by northerly winds. There could be some wintery showers, especially in the north of the UK. It will be a real change."

He said the temperatures will drop to somewhere between 6°C and 9°C, which is in line with the average temperatures of 7°C or 8°C for the start of January. In Edinburgh, it could get to as low as 3°C on Tuesday.

The Met Office also said that the UK's record temperatures have all been elevated by manmade climate change, which has raised temperatures globally by 1.1°C.

They warned that warm weather records are being broken nine times more frequently than cold records, which is a clear sign of an over-heating planet.

They urged people to take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and limit the impacts of climate change.

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