New Year's Eve – live: New Year celebrated across world amid new ...

Countries in the South Pacific Ocean are the first to ring in the New Year, with midnight in New Zealand striking 18 hours before the ball drop in Times Square in New York.

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The UK is set to be battered with wind and rain to start 2025.

Met Office weather warnings are in place across parts of England, Wales and Scotland on New Year’s Day.

This includes an amber alert for heavy rain that has been put in place across parts of North-West England until 9am, stretching from Settle in the Yorkshire Dales across to Preston and down to parts of the Peak District. It states that heavy rainfall is “likely to lead to disruption including flooding in some locations” with a chance some places could see more than 10cm of rain.

The forecaster warned of difficult driving conditions, “danger to life” flooding, potential road closures and transport delays. There may also be power cuts.

Meanwhile, winds of up to 60mph are forecast across much of England and Wales all day on Wednesday, with gusts of 75mph likely around coastal areas and hills, according to the Met Office.

This could lead to travel delays, damage to buildings, power cuts, and even danger from flying debris or large waves, the forecaster said.

Some roads and bridges may close, and injuries could occur, particularly in coastal areas.

Rain turning to snow on New Year’s Day is likely to cause travel disruption, particularly on roads and railways across Grampian, Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Moray, and the Highlands & Eilean Siar, the Met Office said.

London’s fireworks display has begun.

Huge crowds have gathered at the Embankment under Big Ben.

Revellers will be relieved the display is going ahead after there were fears the bad weather would disrupt or even force the cancellation of the event.

The new year has begun!

It is officially 2025 in the UK.

Fireworks can be heard exploding across the country as Big Ben chimes midnight.

The new year is fast approaching, with just a couple of minutes left of 2024...

Heavy rain will lash parts of the UK to begin 2025 after New Year’s Eve celebrations across the country were cancelled.

Many faced heavy rain, strong winds and even snow in some parts, leading to widespread disruption on Tuesday.

An amber warning for heavy rain has been put in place across parts of North-West England until 9am on New Year’s Day.

The Met Office warning stretches from Settle in the Yorkshire Dales across to Preston and down to parts of the Peak District.

The warning states that heavy rain is “likely to lead to disruption including flooding in some locations” with a chance some places could see more than 10cm of rain.

Winds of up to 60mph are forecast across much of England and Wales all day on Wednesday, with gusts of 75mph likely around coastal areas and hills, according to the Met Office.

Rain turning to snow on New Year’s Day is likely to cause travel disruption, particularly on roads and railways across Grampian, Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Moray, and the Highlands & Eilean Siar, the Met Office said.

The UK faces a “year of rebuilding” while also “rediscovering the great nation that we are” in 2025, according to Sir Keir Starmer.

The Prime Minister used his first new year’s message since entering Downing Street to reflect on a “year of change” in 2024, although joked this did not extend to football as the England men’s team experienced “another agonisingly close shave” by losing to Spain in the Euro 2024 final.

He added his Labour administration has begun the “work of change” since winning the general election in July and pointed to an increase in the minimum wage, clean energy projects and NHS investment as examples.

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