Edinburgh’s Hogmanay festivities have been cancelled for New Year’s Eve due to a nationwide wind warning of up to 75 mph accompanied by heavy rain and snow.
Due to a storm warning for the next 36 hours, Edinburgh has cancelled its Hogmanay celebrations, which will impact the street parties and fireworks on New Year’s Eve.
The street party and performance in Princes Street Gardens, which was scheduled to feature the Scottish band Texas as the main act, as well as the midnight fireworks, were cancelled for the Hogmanay celebrations on Monday and Tuesday, according to the announcement made by the organisers.
With severe weather expected to move southward from Scotland overnight on New Year’s Eve, the Met Office has issued yellow alerts for Monday through Thursday.
The Scottish Highlands are also under an amber rain warning on Tuesday from midnight to five o’clock.
‘Difficult decision’
Organisers confirmed that due to “extreme weather and forecast conditions,” the outdoor events are “unable to go ahead on the grounds of public safety.”.
UniqueAssembly, which organises the festivities on behalf of the City of Edinburgh Council, has expressed regret to visitors who came abroad for the fireworks and Princes Street Gardens performance by the Scottish band Texas.
A representative for Hogmanay in Edinburgh stated: “Due to ongoing high winds and inclement weather in Edinburgh city centre, we regret to announce that outdoor events scheduled for Monday and 31 December are unable to go ahead on the grounds of public safety.”
“The cancellation includes tonight’s Night Afore Disco Party in West Princes Street Gardens, and on 31 December, Edinburgh’s Hogmanay Street Party, Concert in the Gardens, and the midnight fireworks from Edinburgh Castle.”
“We have been unable to continue with preparations and necessary set-up for Edinburgh’s Hogmanay outdoor events due to extreme weather and forecast conditions.
Therefore, for safety reasons, we, along with our event partners, have decided to cancel all outdoor events.”
According to the planners, it was unsafe to make preparations outside with such inclement weather.
Nonetheless, indoor events will continue, such as an Idlewild concert that sells out and a New Year’s Eve ceremony at St. Giles Cathedral that sells out.
A day after a torchlit parade in the city was also called off due to strong winds and public safety concerns, Police Scotland supported the decision.
The epidemic also forced the cancellation of Edinburgh’s Hogmanay in 2020 and 2021, although the event was last cancelled in 2006 owing to bad weather brought on by strong winds.
Moreover, Blackpool Council separately announced that it had made the “tough decision” to cancel its fireworks because of the winds, but a projection show with music will still take place.
City Hall authorities in London stated that they “continue to monitor the weather forecast closely,” ahead of their fireworks, but the event is still scheduled to go off.
In the meantime, snow, rain, and wind warnings have caused delays for trains and ferries and are predicted to cause more travel problems on New Year’s Eve.
The Met Office has issued nine weather warnings between today and Thursday, with at least one covering almost every area of the United Kingdom.
With a warning in effect until midnight on New Year’s Eve, Scotland is the country most affected by the “fairly persistent rain” and snow. Up to 70mm (2.8in) of rainfall is predicted across the country, up to 140mm (5.5in) in certain areas, and up to 20cm (7.8in) of snow in other areas.