Hogmanay weather: Clear and dry in time for bells

Members of the public take part in a torchlight procession through the streets of Edinburgh on December 30. Picture: Getty

Forecasters say showers this afternoon should have passed by around 9pm as Scotland begins the big countdown.

A yellow warning for ice is in place for the Highlands extending to Grampian for the early hours of New Year’s Day.

Across the UK, air passengers were being warned to expect delays after the South of England woke up to a blanket of fog.

The heavy fog covering the region on Saturday, which was expected to lift as the morning progressed, caused disruption at major airports, including Gatwick.

The Met Office fog warning across the south of the country was extended until 10am on Saturday, with drivers being urged to take care.

Passengers at Gatwick and Heathrow were being urged to get in contact with their flight operators for information on disruption.

A spokeswoman for Gatwick Airport said: “Air traffic control restrictions imposed due to heavy fog across the South East and Europe is causing delays to flights to and from Gatwick.

“Passengers are strongly advised to check with their airline as to the status of their flight before travelling if possible. Gatwick is doing all it can to keep passengers moving and we apologise for the unavoidable and unfortunate disruption today.”

Some passengers hoping to catch easyJet flights were experiencing delays in excess of 30 minutes, she said.