‘Freezing rain’ is set to fall across parts of the UK this weekend. The Met Office has warned that snow forecast is expected to turn into a spell of freezing rain.
But it could lead to ‘treacherous conditions’ and make the outdoors ‘extremely dangerous’. According to the Met Office, freezing rain is a ‘rare type of liquid precipitation that strikes a cold surface and freezes almost instantly’.
We do not see this ‘ phenomenon very often in the UK’, it added. It comes as a number of weather warnings for snow and ice have been issued across Britain.
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Met Office Chief Forecaster Jason Kelly said: “There is a risk of freezing rain across parts of the Midlands and northern England, but especially Wales, adding to the risk of ice and leading to some treacherous conditions in places. As the supercooled rain droplets hit the surface they instantly freeze, covering everything in a layer of ice, making it extremely dangerous.”
In extreme cases, freezing rain has brought down trees and power lines. The ‘glaze of ice on the ground effectively turns roads and pathways into an ice rink’ in some places, the Met Office said.
Almost all of England could be covered in snow this weekend. A yellow weather warning for snow will come into force at midnight on Sunday, January 5, and end at noon on Monday, January 6.
Scotland and parts of northern England will be impacted. An amber weather warning for snow will be in force between 9am on Saturday, January 4, until 11.59pm on Sunday, January 5.
It will affect the West Midlands, East Midlands, north east England, north west England, and Yorkshire and Humber. A yellow weather warning for snow and ice will be in place between noon on Saturday, January 4, until 11.59pm on Sunday, January 5.
Areas included in this alert include West Midlands, East Midlands, east of England, London and south east England, north east England, north west England, south west England, Wales, and Yorkshire and Humber.
An amber weather warning for snow and ice will also be in force, between 6pm on on Saturday, January 4, until noon on Sunday, January 5. Areas impacted include West Midlands, East Midlands, London and south east England, north west England, south west England, Wales, and Yorkshire and Humber.
The Met Office said: “Snow will accumulate through the evening and into Sunday before turning to rain in central and southern areas of England. It will continue to fall as snow in northern England, where some significant accumulations could develop through Sunday.
“As the snow turns to rain further south, and especially over Wales, there is a risk of freezing rain, a dangerous weather phenomenon which sees rain freezing instantly when it reaches the surface causing dangerous icy conditions.”