Happy New year: London welcomes 2025 with dazzling fireworks despite bad weather warnings | In pics

Happy New Year: London kicked off the New Year with an unforgettable celebration as the city welcomed 2025 amid weather conditions.

Happy New Year 2025 LIVE

Many parts of the UK experience heavy rain, strong winds, and snow in some areas, causing significant disruptions. Earlier, Edinburgh had cancelled Hogmanay festivities, affecting the New Year’s Eve street parties and fireworks displays, due to a storm warning for the next 36 hours. However, London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan had informed that fireworks event will go ahead at midnight.

London rang in the New Year with a pyrotechnic display along the River Thames. The fireworks was launched against the backdrop of the London Eye, the massive Ferris wheel across the river from Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. Earlier, Darryl Fleming, the fireworks display director for London, told SkyNews that the direction of the wind forecast was unlikely to disrupt the display.

With a storm bringing bitter weather to other parts of the United Kingdom, however, festivities in Edinburgh, Scotland, were cancelled. Among other events cancelled were annual bathtub boat race in Poole, Dorset, on the south coast and a dip in the sea in Lyme Regis in the southwest, as reported by Associated Press. Heavy rain and strong winds lashed parts of Scotland and the north of England, disrupting some journeys by train and car and playing spoiler to many public parties.

Weather warnings in UK

The Met Office has issued several weather warnings across the UK, affecting nearly every region from Monday to Wednesday. Yellow wind warnings are in place for parts of central and southern Scotland, northern England, and Northern Ireland, with gusts expected to reach 70mph. Initially, a yellow warning for snow and rain covered much of Scotland until midnight, with the Met Office stating it could cause significant disruption ahead of New Year. However, the warning was later adjusted to only cover the Highlands and Moray, extending until 4am.

(With inputs from Associated Press)