Bad weather set to hit UK New Year celebrations

LONDON, Dec 31 (AFP): Adverse weather on Monday looked set to hit UK New Year festivities, as the organisers of Edinburgh's Hogmanay street party cancelled the event on public safety grounds.

The Edinburgh celebrations, a major tourist draw which last year attracted some 30,000 people, had been due to feature a fireworks display and a concert headlined by Scottish band Texas.

But organisers said it would not be safe to go ahead with preparations for outdoor events scheduled for Monday and New Year's Eve on Tuesday due to "ongoing high winds and inclement weather".

Planned New Year fireworks in the holiday resort town of Blackpool in northwestern England were also cancelled due to a forecast of high winds, the local council said.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) issued a rare severe flood warning of "danger to life" for parts of Scotland.