Weather warnings for rain, snow and wind gusts of up to 70mph have been issued for parts of the UK on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, the Met Office has said.

Yellow warnings are in place for Northern Ireland, northern England and parts of Scotland from Tuesday before extending across most of the UK on Wednesday.

A series of warnings begin to come into force from 00:00 GMT on Monday and will last in some areas until 06:00 GMT on 2 January.

The forecaster said there was likely to be travel disruption with almost all of the country impacted by at least one yellow alert over the four days.

Already, high winds have led to the cancellation of Sunday evening’s Torchlight Procession which kicks off Edinburgh’s pre-Hogmanay celebrations.

Following a period of heavy rain and some hill snow in Scotland on Monday, two areas of low pressure will bring unsettled conditions on both New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day and eventually lead to a cold plunge of air from the north and a drop in temperature.

On New Year’s Eve, there could be as much as 100-140mm (3.9-5.5 inches) of rainfall in some parts of western Scotland which could lead to localised flooding. There could be some further snow in northern parts of the country too.

There will also be spells of rain across England, Northern Ireland and Wales. The rain looks particularly heavy in Wales.

While it will be windy everywhere, it could be very blustery in the south of England as the new year is welcomed in.

The weather warnings in place across the UK include:

• In northern Scotland, a yellow warning for rain and snow from 00:00 GMT on Monday until midnight on Tuesday. A separate warning for snow is in place for the Orkney Islands from 05:00 GMT until midnight on Tuesday.
• Also on Tuesday, parts of northern England are covered by a yellow warning for wind from 07:00 GMT until 23:00 GMT. A separate wind warning covers Northern Ireland from 06:00 GMT until 19:00 GMT.
• On Wednesday, yellow warnings for snow come into force, covering Northern Ireland until midnight and parts of northern England until 03:00 GMT on Thursday.
• Also on Wednesday, a yellow warning for wind is in place for most of England from 09:00 GMT until 06:00 GMT on Thursday. A separate yellow warning for rain covers part of Wales from 09:00 GMT until 21:00 GMT.

The Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (Sepa) has urged people in the North West and Central Highlands to “be prepared, be aware” as flooding is expected.

Those attending Scotland’s biggest Hogmanay celebration in Edinburgh are being advised to dress for all weathers and check social media for updates.

More widespread disruption is expected on New Year’s Day as another area of low pressure moves across the UK.

The strongest winds will be over England and Wales with gusts near 70mph over coasts and hills in the south and west.

About 30mm of heavy rainfall is expected widely across the UK. Rain is forecast to be heavier in Wales on Wednesday, which could bring some flooding.

Possible snowfall may lead to disruption in Northern Ireland, Scotland and northern England.

Forecasters said 10cm of snow was expected in some areas with heavier falls over hills with blizzards and drifting.

The Met Office said there was “potential for the pattern of warnings to shift and possibly escalate in some areas”.

Those travelling and with plans over the New Year are being urged to check the latest forecasts.

Network Rail said trains on some lines will need to be slowed down due to the difficult weather conditions.

The yellow weather warnings come after thick fog caused disruption to hundreds of flights at some of the UK’s major airports over the weekend.

Gatwick Airport reported continued delays on Sunday, and flights at Manchester, Glasgow and Cardiff were also affected on Friday and Saturday due to poor visibility.

Disruption could continue on Wednesday night. By the morning of Thursday 2 January, as the area of low pressure clears into Europe, arctic air may sweep towards the UK.

From Thursday into next weekend it will be much colder everywhere with widespread frosts. Most places will be dry and sunny during the day but wintry showers will affect northern areas and lead to icy conditions.