Snow maps show exact date ultra-rare weather phenomenon will 'supercool' UK

Freezing rainfall creates a stunning ocular show erstwhile it makes imapct with a acold surface, making the entity look encased successful ice, but it tin besides origin dangers similar slippery roads and downed electrical lines

An ultra-rare upwind phenomenon that could wreak havoc crossed the UK is astir to teardrop done the country.

Freezing rainfall - a uncommon benignant of liquid precipitation - freezes the infinitesimal it makes interaction with a acold surface. The weather event is truthful uncommon due to the fact that it required precise circumstantial conditions, which is wherefore we don't spot it that often successful the UK.

Brand new upwind maps from WXCharts show patches of freezing rainfall dotted astir the state astatine 9am connected Wednesday, February 19. Orange marks connected the graphics amusement however areas extracurricular Edinburgh, and much on Scotland's occidental coast, look to person the cleanable conditions needed for the rainfall to freeze. By 6pm connected the aforesaid day, the freezing rainfall volition person moved and beryllium focused astir Stirling and different areas northbound of Glasgow.

The improvement is known for creating striking effects, with the rainfall encasing surfaces successful a furniture of wide ice. Though beauteous to look at, the freak precipitation comes with a much superior risk. At times, the crystal tin go truthful dense that it tin bring down trees and powerfulness lines.

It besides increases the hazard for roadworthy users, arsenic it turns them into an "ice rink", the Met Office said, adding that it is besides "extremely hazardous" for aircraft.

Freezing rainfall is astir commonly seen successful different parts of the world. It's acold much communal successful the USA, wherever Americans notation to them arsenic "ice storms".

The Met Office explained precisely however this uncommon benignant of precipitation forms. The bureau said: "On uncommon occasions, if it [rain] past falls done acold aerial again conscionable earlier hitting the ground, the droplets tin go ‘supercooled’ and this means that they are inactive falling successful liquid form, adjacent though their somesthesia has fallen beneath zero.

"When this ‘supercooled’ droplet hits the crushed (which is beneath zero too) it spreads retired a small connected landing, and past instantly freezes, encasing the aboveground successful a furniture of wide ice. This is wherefore it is called freezing rain."

It added: "Freezing rainfall tends to commencement its beingness arsenic snow, ice, sleet oregon hail, but passes done a furniture of aerial that’s supra 0 °C connected the mode down to the ground, melting into a liquid h2o droplet. If these droplets past autumn done a portion of sub-zero aerial conscionable supra the ground, they go supercooled. When these supercooled droplets onslaught surfaces that are adjacent to oregon beneath freezing, they frost connected interaction forming a glaze of ice."