Britain is set for warmest New Year’s Eve in 178 YEARS but 95 flood warnings remain

Britain is set for warmest New Year’s Eve in 178 YEARS and will be hotter than Greece as 2020 begins with ‘early spring’ caused by heat bubble over Europe

  • But first the country will have to battle through horrendous flooding plunging much of the UK under water 
  • The warmest places are likely to be sheltered parts of North Wales and the North-East, the Met Office said 
  • In Athens predicted high is 9C (48F) today and 8C (46F) tomorrow and in Rome 11C (52F) is expected today

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Britons will toast in 2020 basking in the warmest weather since 1841 thanks to a tropical plume blowing from the Atlantic. 

On New Years Eve, the mercury is expected to climb to 16C, excelling temperatures in sun-seeker hotspots such as Corfu in Greece.

Revellers will also be buoyed by the forecast of calm and dry conditions which will give the green light to the thousands of fireworks expected to be launched on Tuesday night.  

But first the country will battle through torrential rain tipping on much of the UK, which has been partially submerged from flooding.

Some 95 flood warnings remain in place for much of the south of England and aerial pictures show roads and fields under water.

The Environment Agency said: ‘Groundwater flooding is expected in parts of the South until December 31 at least. Some properties will flood and there will be travel disruption.’ 

After seeing off the worst of the rainfall, Britons can look forward to a largely dry start to the decade with no sign of a cold snap in January. 

Wales and Scotland will be warmest at 16C, 9C above average, with London’s 11C still 3C above average. New Year’s Day is due 13C maximums, with 11-12C and sunny periods until the weekend. 

Met Office forecaster Simon Partridge said: ‘A tropical maritime air mass from the Azores is good news for New Year’s Eve, with very mild 15-16C highs up to and including Tuesday.

‘Conditions look pretty decent for fireworks, with light winds, and New Year’s Day looks mild at 13C. ‘North Wales and North-East Scotland will see the mildest temperatures in coming days, but even London’s 11C will be 3C above average.

‘There will not be additional issues with groundwater flooding, as it stays dry and mild with sunny spells for the next week in the South and Midlands, with some rain in the second half of the week in the North.’

Some 95 flood warnings remain (Sutton Gault, Cambrideshire, pictured) with large areas still under water, but the UK is headed for its warmest New Years Eve for nearly 200 years

Unusually, the warmer spell is the result of an area of high pressure, which would typically bring cold and frosty weather from the Continent

Unusually, the warmer spell is the result of an area of high pressure, which would typically bring cold and frosty weather from the Continent

Elsewhere, daytime temperatures today and tomorrow could reach highs of 12-13C (54-55F).

In Athens, meanwhile, the predicted high is 9C (48F) today and 8C (46F) tomorrow, while in Rome 11C (52F) is expected today and 9C (48F) tomorrow.

Unusually, the warmer spell is the result of an area of high pressure, which would typically bring cold and frosty weather from the Continent. 

This time, however, it is trapping an area of cloud and mild air.

Fields are flooded near Harbridge, 2.5 miles north of Ringwood in Hampshire, after the river Avon burst its banks during the severe weather

Fields are flooded near Harbridge, 2.5 miles north of Ringwood in Hampshire, after the river Avon burst its banks during the severe weather 

The beginning of next week is set to turn chillier as the current area of high pressure is replaced by a second one bringing colder air. Pictured: flooding in Harbridge

The beginning of next week is set to turn chillier as the current area of high pressure is replaced by a second one bringing colder air. Pictured: flooding in Harbridge

Sunshine is likely to be limited and some rain is forecast, including a potentially heavy spell in the North-West today.

Emma Smith, of the Met Office, said Scotland and Northern Ireland could also expect wet and windy weather this weekend ‘but for many of us it is likely to be cloudy, drier and mild’. 

The beginning of next week is set to turn chillier as the current area of high pressure is replaced by a second one bringing colder air.

A flooded street in Puddletown, in Dorset, after the river Piddle burst its banks. The flooding has continued into the after-Christmas period

A flooded street in Puddletown, in Dorset, after the river Piddle burst its banks. The flooding has continued into the after-Christmas period

Oscar, a west highland terrier, has an encounter with swans on the Calder and Hebble Navigation near Elland, West Yorkshire

Oscar, a west highland terrier, has an encounter with swans on the Calder and Hebble Navigation near Elland, West Yorkshire

The settled conditions follow wet and windy weather for much of November and December. Pictured: A car drives through floodwater near Harbridge

The settled conditions follow wet and windy weather for much of November and December. Pictured: A car drives through floodwater near Harbridge

Parts of Wales could wake to frost on Monday and temperatures could fall to 1-2C (34-36F) even in southern England.

Tuesday could begin with fog but is expected to be mainly fine and dry into the night for New Year’s Eve. 

The settled conditions follow wet and windy weather for much of November and December.

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk