Hogmanay revellers warned as rain, snow and ice ushers in 2023

The old year blew out with ice, rain and snow yesterday as Hogmanay party-goers were warned to take extra care.

Train services across western, eastern and central parts of Scotland were still hit by the fallout of severe disruption on Friday due to flooding on key routes.

ScotRail confirmed services were resuming as water levels dropped but it urged anyone planning to travel to check the app and social media for updates.

ScotRail said: “Although the lines are open, it will take some time to get trains and crew back into position.”

Multiple warnings for snow and ice were in place into today. The Met Office said anyone travelling overnight would face poor conditions from the Borders to the most northerly tip of Shetland.

Alex Burkill, of the Met Office, said: “A band of rain is due to travel north tonight, with snow on the leading edge of it. By midnight, it will be lying across the Central Belt. It won’t arrive in the east and north until after that, which is why we have split the warnings. The alerts were issued in recognition that many people would be out and about much later than normal. Difficulties will continue well into New Year’s Day. When people get up, there will still be various impacts around.”

As we welcome in the New Year tonight, it will be cold and icy in the far north ❄️

Rain and hill snow will affect Northern Ireland and southern Scotland 🌧️🌧️

Meanwhile it will be mild in the south, with clear spells and a few blustery showers pic.twitter.com/V7maqyT29t

— Met Office (@metoffice) December 31, 2022

The warnings came as thousands prepared to party into 2023. In Edinburgh, Pet Shop Boys were to headline the Hogmanay concert in Princes Street Gardens.

About 30,000 people were expected to attend the party although the Edinburgh torchlit procession that traditionally kicks off Hogmanay and the New Year’s “Loony Dook” at South Queensferry had both already been cancelled. Street celebrations were also planned in Glasgow, Aberdeen, and Stirling.

The country slowly tried to return to normal yesterday after record flooding in the south and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) reduced the number of flood warnings from more than 40 to just eight. Marc Becker, Sepa flood duty manager, said: “Whilst across Hogmanay and New Year’s Day we’re seeing an improving picture, we’ll see rain, sleet and snow on higher grounds, particularly across The Bells.”

The weather had seen a climber die in an avalanche on the UK’s highest mountain on Friday – the first such death in Scotland in nearly three years. The 49-year-old man was with a fellow climber on Ben Nevis when they plunged nearly 2,000 feet on the 4,413ft high mountain’s north face.

The other climber, 42, miraculously survived but suffered serious injuries.

In an area from the south of Scotland to the southern suburbs of Glasgow and Edinburgh, snow is expected to fall until 10am. It will be noon before the snowfall stops in the north and east including Central, Tayside, Fife, Grampian, Highlands and Islands and northern parts of Strathclyde.

The north of Scotland, as far as Shetland, has been told to expect very icy conditions until 11am. Freezing conditions, however, did not stop many people from enjoying the outdoors.

© PETER JOLLY / NORTHPIX

Crowds flocked to the Lecht Ski Centre in Strathdon, Aberdeenshire, on New Year’s Eve during the resort’s busiest day of the winter.

Claire Voelcker, 56, from Skipton in North Yorkshire, said: “It’s my first time at the Lecht and it’s been brilliant. Skiing here has been a great way to finish off the year.”

Faraday Micklethwaite, aged four, was one of the youngest skiers on the slopes. Mum Lizzie said: “She has been skiing since she was two and the beginners slopes here are brilliant for young kids.”

Lauren Sinclair, from Inverurie, enjoyed the slopes with daughter Eve, six. The 35-year-old said: “It’s such a beautiful day here today, what an incredible way to spend the last day of 2022.”