London's annual extravaganza drew a quarter of a million people to the riverside for a spectacular display of glittering fireworks, bright lights and music around the London Eye, while thousands also gathered for Hogmanay street parties in Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Those venturing outside were grateful for warmer temperatures than those seen over the past week, but in large parts of the country firework displays were set to be obscured by cloud and mist.
London's display featured fireworks made by a British firm for the first time, with the show set to music provided by Radio 1 DJ Nihal.
Mayor of London Boris Johnson said the ''dazzling'' display would capture the ''dynamism, colour and energy'' of the city in front of an expected 250,000 people along the River Thames.
The Hogmanay festival started last night in Edinburgh with a torchlit procession along the Royal Mile, and continued tonight with a concert featuring Biffy Clyro, The Charlatans and Billy Bragg and a Keilidh in Resolution Square, both of which were sold out.
A candlelit concert took place at St Giles' Cathedral on the Royal Mile while organisers provided an impressive firework display from Edinburgh Castle and Calton Hill.
In Glasgow, crowds toasted the New Year with one of Scotland's biggest outdoor ceilidhs, in George Square.
Scottish trad-rockers Skerryvore and Celtic music legends Capercaillie were scheduled to appear at the massive street party.
Michael Lawrence, a Met Office forecaster, said: "It will be mostly dry and cloudy with some light winds. It will be cooler than recent days but minimum temperatures will be just above freezing.
"The cloud is fairly low but does have some breaks. The mist will not be as widespread as it has been for the last few days.
"Scotland and north-facing coasts will see the occasional snow shower."
Countries across Europe, Asia, Africa and the Pacific have already celebrated the new year, with thousands gathering in Madrid's central Puerta del Sol square to take part in "Las Uvas," or "The Grapes," a tradition in which people eat a grape for each of the 12 chimes of midnight.
In Australia 1.5 million people gathered to watch a spectacular firework display over Sydney harbour, preceded by aerial displays by vintage aircraft and a parade of boats around the harbour.
A massive pyrotechnic display in the shape of a dragon was set off in Taiwan and people in Japan wrote their wishes on note paper, attached them to balloons and released them into the sky.
Later on nearly a million people are expected to gather in New York's Times Square to watch the midnight ball drop just days after the city was crippled by a devestating blizzard.
British celebrations will continue on January 1 with the 25th New Year's Day parade through London.
Clearer skies are forecast although a band of light rain will be pushing down from Scotland across Wales and the south east as half a million people are expected to pack the streets of Westminster for the free event.
More than 8,500 musicians, cheerleaders and performers, including those from 20 London boroughs, will take part in the 2.2 mile parade with a special message from the Queen read out to start proceedings.
(source:.telegraph.co.uk)
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