Key events
Met Office warns wind and rain could spoil New Year’s Eve celebrations in UK
I should point out at this moment that if, like me, you are in the UK, there are some weather warnings in place which might affect your plans for the evening. Revellers have been urged to pack a rain jacket for the countdown to 2024.
PA Media reports that the Met Office has said exposed coasts and hills on the southern coast of England and in South Wales will continue to be battered by strong winds
Meteorologist Jonathan Vautrey said showers in these areas will start to “band up”, becoming more frequent:
There’s potential for 10-20mm widely, and 30-40mm in some areas over the 12-hour period. It has been quite wet so the ground is already saturated. We could see some difficult driving conditions for those who are out and about for New Year’s Eve. Some bus and train services could be affected.
For most other parts of the UK, the rain will be less persistent but the threat of showers during the countdown to the new year remains.
Scattered, blustery showers are expected to develop across the country, possibly thundery along southern coasts, but some brighter spells are possible between showers.
“Elsewhere tonight it will be showery, so it’s worth taking a rain jacket with you,” Vautrey added.
The driest and brightest weather will be across parts of mainland northern Scotland.
For those foolhardy enough to be planning a New Year’s Day swim, sea surface temperatures around the UK are unlikely to rise above 10C, the Met Office said.
I should imagine if you are a major urban centre in Australia, it must be annoying how Sydney grabs the global spotlight during New Year’s Eve celebrations. But it does have a spectacular backdrop for it …
That doesn’t mean that people aren’t out in force elsewhere in Australia to celebrate the new year. Here is a view of the scenes this evening in Melbourne.
The national monument in Indonesia has been carrying a new year message for 2024.
And it looks like the centre of town in Jakarta has been busy with celebrations too.
By contrast this image shows some deserted streets in Tokyo in Japan. Like elsewhere, a lot of people take the opportunity at new year to visit their home town.
Earlier in Tokyo these Shinto priests at the Meiji Shrine were preparing for new year celebrations, with as many as 3 million people expected to visit in the next few days.
Welcome …
Hello. Welcome to our live coverage of New Year’s Eve celebrations from around the world as 2024 begins. Well, begins for some of us. I am in London, but Kiritimati has already been enjoying the new year for eight hours, and Sydney has been lit up with the two traditional epic fireworks display – one at midnight, and a family friendly one at 9pm so you can get younger kids tucked up in bed early.
Over the next few hours we will bring you some of the best photographs from around the world, messages of goodwill from world leaders, and hopefully a little bit of fun too.
News may also happen – I did not have Queen Margrethe II of Denmark announces surprise abdication live on TV on my list of things to bring you this evening, but here we all are.
Do let me know what you are up to on New Year’s Eve, especially if it is something unusual or you have made a ridiculous new year resolution – you can email me at [email protected] – and I always want to see pictures of your animal companions celebrating with you.
And of course, our picture editors have already selected some of the best fireworks images from Australia.
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