New Year's Eve to be cool affair

Edinburgh's Hogmanay party has been under way for days

Forecasters have warned that night-time temperatures will fall below zero in many places across the UK as revellers welcome the new year.

Party-goers in Edinburgh will need more than Hogmanay cheer to keep warm with lows of minus 5C expected.

In London 400,000 people are expected to attend a fireworks display, while Elton John is playing at the 02 Arena.

A range of free events have been planned for Cardiff, Manchester, Birmingham and Newcastle as well.

Sub-zero temperatures are also forecast for northern England and Wales, while many other areas could also see the mercury plunge.

But revellers going to fireworks displays might not get a clear view, with mist and freezing fog forecast in some areas.

Claire Austin, forecaster with MeteoGroup UK, said: "It is going to be quite cold in most places but the good news is that it is staying dry and winds are going to be generally light."

But there is unlikely to be any let up in the cold weather for the first day of 2009.

Ms Austin added: "There will be some mist and cloud around in the morning.

"Central and eastern areas will see lots of cloud but western regions, such as Western Scotland and Wales will see the best of the bright sunny weather.

"It will be a little bit milder in the East but still temperatures are unlikely to get above 4-5C anywhere.

"It is still looking like it is going to stay pretty cold over the next couple of days with weekend temperatures of around 2-3C and minus figures overnight."

In London police are gearing up for one of the busiest nights of the year.

The Met's Supt Brian Pearce urged people to plan their night in advance and to take extra care after consuming alcohol.

He added: "Hundreds of thousands of people used to travel to central London when there was nothing for them to see or do.

"Now with such a world-class fireworks display being staged the centre of town is more popular than ever before.

"Sadly, not everyone sets out just for a fun night out. There are those criminals who will use the cover of crowds to commit crime, so help yourself by keeping a close eye on all your belongings."

Tube services will be running all night, but the authorities have warned people may need to queue to get into stations because the demand will be high.

And on Thursday more than 400,000 people are expected to head into London for the New Year's Day Parade.

Organisers said the traditional spectacle aims to breathe fresh air into London by helping visitors beat the credit crunch and start the year healthily.