Scotland set for mild Hogmanay weather

NEW YEAR’S Eve revellers have been told to expect a dry evening with temperatures above freezing, as the country prepares to say goodbye to one of the warmest years on record.

Edinburgh Castle is illuminated by fireworks as 2013 is brought to a close. Picture: Jane Barlow

Edinburgh is likely to be cloudy but dry for its Hogmanay celebrations, with a chance of the odd wintry shower early on in the evening. The evening should be mild in the city, with minimum temperatures at 9C (48.2F) or 10C (50F) at midnight.

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The Met Office said western parts of the UK should expect rain in the evening but added, “this is likely to become lighter as midnight approaches and should have eased across Western Scotland and Northern Ireland”.

Temperatures are likely to hold up above freezing across the country, with values ranging from around 3C (37.4F) across some eastern areas, to a very mild 10C (50F) in parts of the west.

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According to the Met office the last few days have seen some of the coldest temperatures of the year so far.

Cromdale in Moray, Scotland, saw minus 9C (15.8F) in the early hours of December 27, the coldest the country has seen this year.

This is despite researchers suggesting this year could be the UK’s warmest, as measured by the world’s oldest temperature record over almost 250 years.

A spokesman for MeteoGroup said: “For New Year’s Eve night the temperatures will be down to about 4C (39.2F) or 5C (41F), which will be the same for most parts of the UK. In the west and north temperatures could be around 7C (44.6F) so much milder than the previous few nights.

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“It will be a good evening to be out as it is mostly dry over much of England. The north and west might see some patchy rain, as will Scotland but it won;t be a bad night for being outside anywhere.”

The Met Office warned that the weather is set to change from the current crisp winter days, with a rise in temperatures and more unsettled, windy weather.

Through the course of New Year’s Day, it will gradually turn wet and windy across the whole of the country - but it should stay mild.

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