High winds spoil New Year parties in Britain

0 Comments | AFP, December, 2006

LONDON (AFP) — New Year's Eve fireworks displays, concerts and other outdoor parties were scrapped in key British cities because of dangerous winds, disappointing well over 100,000 anticipated revelers. Celebrations in the Northern Irish capital of Belfast, the Scottish hubs of Edinburgh and Glasgow as well as the northern English cities of Newcastle and Liverpool were all canceled over weather-related safety fears.

Up to 100,000 people had been expected to join the annual Hogmanay (last day of the year) celebration in the Scottish capital Edinburgh, the focal point for Scotland's biggest holiday. However, the Hogmanay.net website said winds of up to 70 miles per hour (110 kilometers per hour) made temporary stages unsafe, prompting cancellation of pop acts like the Pet Shop...