Hogmanay celebrations across Scotland could be disrupted by stormy weather

Hogmanay celebrations across Scotland could be disrupted by wet and windy weather.

After an exceptionally mild Christmas, big changes are on the way for New Year, with colder conditions and the potential for a stormy start to 2025.

While the main weather models differ on the exact timings, most suggest a strong likelihood of stormier weather.

The Met Office model predicts the arrival of windy weather on Hogmanay, which has the potential to disrupt some of our planned celebrations.

According to the latest data, strong winds are expected to develop across central and western Scotland on Hogmanay afternoon, intensifying as they sweep through the country into the evening — just as festivities get under way.

It’s important to highlight the potential for winds to funnel through the central belt, with gusts of 60-70 mph possible.

While this could affect Edinburgh’s Hogmanay celebrations, it’s a situation to monitor closely as the forecast develops.

On the other hand, the ECMWF model paints a different picture.

It downplays the stormier winds on Hogmanay but predicts a strong system developing around January 2, which could still be disruptive — just not during Hogmanay events.

Heavy snow and blizzard conditions

In addition to the wind risk, colder air is set to sweep into northern Scotland in the coming days, increasing the likelihood of snow.

Depending on how the storm systems track, we could see heavy snow and blizzard conditions around the turn of the year. While the storms will bring heavy rain, the interaction with colder air to the north could create hazardous wintry weather in some areas.

Though nothing is set in stone, it’s worth highlighting the potential for changes to Hogmanay plans, as well as risks to travel.

Ferry services could face disruption due to high winds, and snow may impact roads across northern Scotland as we ring in the New Year.

So, after a quiet and unseasonably mild Christmas, it seems we’re heading for a colder, stormier, and wintry start to 2025.

Stay tuned for updates as the situation develops.