A rare freezing rain warning in the UK is issued by the Met Office due to a dip in temperature. Freezing rain is uncommon in the UK however it can bring down trees and ground planes.
This week, Britain is expected to experience freezing rain, a rare occurrence that can bring down trees and halt planes, according to the Met Office.
In the UK, the uncommon weather phenomenon—known as ice storms in North America—is rarely observed due to the highly specialised circumstances required. Rainfall falls from the sky and passes through different temperatures in the atmosphere, becoming “supercooled” in the process.
It begins as hail or sleet high in the atmosphere melts as it descends through a layer of warmer air, and then refreezes once more as it approaches the surface through a layer of colder air. As high pressure continues to bring overcast and cold air to the country’s east and north, Britain may experience this weather in the days ahead.
Honour Criswick, a Met Office forecaster stated: “There is a chance we could see some hill snow as this area of rain moves into colder air.
“There is even a chance we could see some freezing rain, so do take care as there could be some icy stretches by the morning.
“But for many, most towns and cities will just about drop below freezing, so colder nights are likely compared to recent nights.”
Ms Criswick went on: “Continuing to see that risk of freezing rain too, so still a chance of some icy stretches.
“But away from this cloud, an area of rain – that cloud breaking up a bit more so perhaps seeing a bit more sunshine by the time we reach tomorrow afternoon.
“But temperatures remain fairly similar if not a touch below in some places. So despite a chance of seeing a little bit more sunshine on the cards tomorrow, it is still going to be feeling chilly so we’ll need to wrap up warm to enjoy it.”
Over the next few days, freezing rain is predicted in some areas of the United Kingdom. Over the next few days, portions of the UK are expected to experience freezing rain (Met Office). The primary areas anticipated to be impacted include Wales, northern England, and Northern Ireland.
Forecaster Zoe Hutin of the Met Office stated:
“Freezing rain can lead to some quite treacherous driving conditions and transport conditions in general.
“The risk is greatest around the early hours of Friday morning, so just take care and give yourself plenty of time to complete any journeys.
“Drivers at that time should make sure they’ve got plenty of equipment in their car so that if they do need to stop for any reason, they don’t get cold and can wait for that ice to thaw.”
The Met Office claims that the coating of ice on the ground effectively converts roads and paths into ice rinks and that the weight of the ice can occasionally be heavy enough to knock down trees and power lines.
With the possibility of icicles accumulating across an aeroplane’s wings, it can also prove to be very dangerous for aeroplanes. It is extremely clear and is frequently called “black ice” due to its poor visibility, which makes it dangerous for both automobiles and pedestrians.
Forecasters said that snow will also likely fall over higher areas in northern England and Scotland, with a few centimetres probable in the north Pennines and the Grampians. Highs of 5 to 8 degrees Celsius and lows of 1 to 2 degrees Celsius are predicted for most of the country as the cold weather from this week continues into the weekend.