UK weather: Brits brace for wind & rain on New Year’s Eve, as forecasters warn of difficult driving conditions

BRITAIN is braced for wind and rain on New Year's Eve as forecasters warn of difficult driving conditions.

Temperatures will stay mild for most of the UK but blustery showers are set to hit most of England and Wales over the post-Christmas period, the Met Office said.

And gusts of up to 40 miles per hour along with rainfall could dampen new year celebrations on Saturday.

Drivers planning trips over the next few days have been urged to check for any updates to weather warnings as conditions are expected to remain "unsettled", according to meteorologists.

Met Office forecaster Greg Dewhurst said: "There may be some heavy rain, so some tricky driving conditions across England and Wales across higher ground.

"Transpennine routes could find there are some tricky driving conditions, for example.

"There will be some blustery showers on Thursday, so difficult if you get caught in a shower as it reduces visibility."

Mr Dewhurst added: "It's going to stay unsettled across the UK for the rest of the year.

"Into the new year we're going to see outbreaks of rain and stronger winds too. There will be rain moving eastwards today and snow falling across parts of Scotland.

"The main theme is that it is on the mild side for many.

"The best message is for everywhere to expect some heavy rain throughout the weekend and some stronger winds."

Yellow warnings for ice are in place across most of Scotland on Tuesday and Wednesday, with travel disruption likely as some roads and railways will be affected by the weather.

A yellow warning for rain covering parts of south-west England and Wales, including Plymouth and Cardiff, also comes into effect from 2am on Wednesday, lasting until 3pm.

Wednesday is set to be mild in England and Wales with highs of 12C, and possibly 7C in Scotland and Northern Ireland, before temperatures turn colder for most of the UK.

Mild conditions are expected for most of England and Wales on Friday and temperatures could hit 13C in the far south while Scotland and Northern Ireland may reach 8C.

Similar conditions are possible for New Year's Eve, with revellers in the south potentially facing 11-12C while it may reach 5-8C in the north.

The Met Office also issued a travel warning with snow and ice alerts covering half the UK.

Brits are braced for icy weather in the coming days with freezing temperatures whirling across from the Atlantic.

Yellow weather warnings for snow and ice in Scotland are in place as well as parts of northern and western England.

And the Met Office warned that the "wintry showers" will have continued overnight leading to a risk of ice on surfaces.