New forecasts show the exact day parts of the UK could be hit by freezing rain, which can leave roads and runways covered in slippery ice
A rare weather event is set to hit the UK in the coming days, as the latest weather maps turn bright orange.
Several parts of the country could wake up to freezing rain on the morning of December 30, WXCharts predicts, using MetDesk data. The phenomenon is expected along the English-Welsh border in Herefordshire and Shropshire. As the name suggests, it involves liquid precipitation that freezes almost instantly on contact with cold surfaces. Freezing rain can be dangerous, with the weight of the heavy rain known to bring down power lines, topple trees and leave roads and runways coated in slippery ice.
The Met Office said: “Freezing rain is more common in other parts of the world, for example in the USA, where weather systems produce a lot of freezing rain. These are called ice storms, and if enough glaze collects on trees or power lines, the weight of the ice can cause them to break and can result in disruption on a large scale.”
High up in the atmosphere, precipitation starts as snow, ice, sleet or hail but as it passes through a warmer air layer, it melts into liquid droplets, the Express reports. Just before hitting the ground, the droplets pass through a thin layer of sub-zero air, becoming supercooled. Upon contact with surfaces at or below freezing point, the droplets solidify almost instantly, forming an icy coating.
“The conditions needed for freezing rain are quite specific and we don’t see this phenomenon very often in the UK,” the Met Office added. “It can produce striking effects, as the rain drop spreads out momentarily across the surface before it freezes, encasing the surface in a layer of clear ice.”
In its long-range forecast for December 23 to January 1, the national weather service says: “A gradual transition to more settled conditions is expected, as high pressure builds to the north of the UK and low pressure eases away to the south.
“This will bring a strengthening easterly wind over the Christmas period, making it feel noticeably colder than of late. Whilst there will be a fair amount of dry weather, a few showers will still be possible, particularly across eastern and southern parts which may be wintry in places, more especially over high ground.
“Temperatures will likely trend below average with the potential for frost, especially in the north where winds will be lighter. Towards New Year, high pressure may become centred more towards the west of the UK, allowing a greater chance of some wet weather to spread into parts of the UK.”
