Rare weather event forecasted in some parts of the UK today
09.01.2024 - 09:07
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Temperatures all across the country are reaching close to zero degrees celsius.
While many will expect some form of snow fall to accompany the exceptionally cold conditions, some parts of the country will instead see a 'rare' weather event. Ventusky's interactive weather map predicts bands of 'freezing rain' to hit the UK today (January 9).
The rain is expected to hit the north east of England, from Newcastle-Upon-Tyne and will span all the way to Edinburgh. This rare phenomenon is described by the Met Office as a rare type of liquid precipitation that hits a cold surface and immediately freezes, the Mirror reports.
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It adds that the conditions to create freezing rain have to be extremely specific and it's not something regularly seen in the UK. While the rain doesn't look as nice as snow, it can still pose its own dangers.
Forecasters explained: "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. However, it is not just these eye-catching scenes which the freezing rain can bring; the weight of the ice can sometimes be heavy enough to bring down trees and power lines, and the glaze of ice on the ground effectively turns roads and pathways into an ice rink.
"The freezing rain can also prove extremely hazardous for aircraft."
Firstly, precipitation needs to fall from a cloud as snow before heading through warmer air and turning to rain droplets. In some cases the droplet goes through cold air again before landing and becomes freezing rain.
The Met Office goes on: "This means that they are still falling in liquid form, even