Revellers will be celebrating on the beaches, in the hills, on rooftops, pub terraces and in back gardens as temperatures on New Year’s Eve soar towards record-breaking levels. Tens of thousands of people who will not or cannot throw a party indoors because of Covid concerns, restrictions or a lack of tests are expected to opt to see in the new year alfresco thanks to balmy weather. Many holiday hotspots are packed with people planning to celebrate in the fresh air while garden centres across the UK have benefited from hosts investing in fire pits and barbecues. Pubs, bars, restaurants and clubs have spruced up outdoor spaces where restrictions allow them to open and are expecting a bumper night despite surging Covid case numbers, with some opting for winter wonderland and apres-ski themes that may make it feel a little more seasonal. The Met Office said on Thursday there was a good chance of the UK experiencing the warmest New Year’s Eve on record, beating the current high of 14.8C in Colwyn Bay, north Wales, in 2011. A low pressure system near Ireland drawing in warm air from the Azores means it is also possible that New Year’s Day temperatures could exceed the 15.6C recorded at Bude in north Cornwall in 1916. “Records are under threat on both days,” said Met Office forecaster Craig Snell. “Even at midnight it is likely to be 10-12C when you would expect it to be more like 3-5C. You won’t need a full winter outfit on and you can probably move your celebrations outside.” While it has been warm, December has been very dull with the UK experiencing an average of 27 hours of sunshine – about 40% less than normal for this time of year. Snell said it was impossible to say if this period of warm weather was due to the climate emergency. “But what we can say is that these sort of extremes are becoming more common.” He pointed out that on Boxing Day the Alaska island of Kodiak recorded a temperature of 19.4C, the highest ever for December in the state. Though many official outdoor public events in the UK have been cancelled, such as the fireworks display in London and Scotland’s main open-air Hogmanay and New Year’s Day events, people are still expected to gather for their own smaller-scale open-air events. The Cornish seaside town of St Ives, a popular new year’s spot, is busy with visitors. Alan Spencer, joint owner of the holiday rental agency So St Ives, said all his properties were let. The fireworks display has been cancelled, but people are expected to gather in fancy dress on the harbour. “Some will be nervous but it’s mostly an outdoors experience,” said Spencer. Hardy types are heading for the hills. Fi Darby, a writer specialising in the outdoors, said she and her husband, Simon, were planning a winter wild camp on Dartmoor. “The intention is to pack everything we need for an overnight stay and breakfast into our rucksacks, and walk off to find a lonely spot within the Dartmoor national park wild camping area. If the weather allows, we’ll be sleeping in bivvy bags but otherwise we’ll take a small tent.” The less adventurous may stick to their back gardens. The Garden Centre Association reported that sales of furniture, barbecues and fire pits are up by 60% on last year. The warm temperatures are not here to stay. Cooler weather is due to move in next week with snow possible in Scotland.