NEW Year’s Day dippers should expect ‘quite chilly’ weather conditions, according to the Met Office.
The forecast for Sunday is for temperatures of 6C combined with a strong westerly wind.
It will be fairly bright most of the time, with some isolated showers.
There is a risk of the showers turning wintry on the hill tops later in the day.
Spare a thought for the many dippers attempting to brave more than one dip – and some aiming for five – to raise money for charity.
Forecast
For those who have not been put off by the forecast, the New Year’s Day dips take place at the following times:
• Friends of Auldyn’s Ramsey dip. Register at 1.30pm at Queen’s Promenade lifeboat station for 2pm start.
• Southern dips: Chapel Beach, Port St Mary, 12.45pm; Inner harbour, Port St Mary, 1.30pm; Gansey beach, 2.15pm; Port Erin beach, 3pm.
• Castletown Ale Drinkers’ Castletown dip from the harbour, 3.30pm.
• Peel dip, register at 11am for a midday start.
• Breakthrough Breast Cancer dip, Queen’s Promenade, Douglas, midday.
• Deemster’s New Year Dip, Laxey beach, midday.
Severe gale force nine winds battered the island on Wednesday evening.
At the Met Office’s base at Ronaldsway, the highest gust of 60 mph (52 knots) was recorded at 6pm.
A spokesman said all areas of the island would have been hit with wind of similar speeds.
It caused the return Douglas to Heysham sailing due to depart at 7.45pm and return the following morning at 2.15am to be cancelled due to weather conditions.
The Ben-my-Chree sailing was originally brought forward to try to beat the weather but was later cancelled.
It came as the Met Office forecast conditions in the sea to be rough, with the wind expected to reach severe gale force nine.
In addition, the Northern Civic Amenity Site, in Bride, was closed on Wednesday due to the blustery conditions.