Warning as 'rare' weather phenomenon to hit parts of UK - and it's 'extremely dangerous'
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Brits have been urged to be careful amid "extremely dangerous" weather conditions such as "freezing rain". The Met Office issued a major warning over the strange phenomenon which could strike parts of the country. People living in the Midlands and northern England have been told to keep an eye on the conditions. Anyone living in Wales should be extra cautious, the forecaster said.
The latest warning comes after the UK was hit with snow on the weekend - with further predictions announced for today. Forecaster Jason Kelly said: "We have issued a number of severe weather warnings, including Amber warnings for snow and ice in parts of England and Wales.
"Some significant accumulations of snow are possible across parts of Wales, the Midlands and northern England in particular, where 5cm or more could accumulate fairly widely, with as much as 20-30cm over high ground of mid and north Wales and potentially 30-40cm over parts of the Pennines.".
He added: "This, accompanied by strengthening winds, may lead to drifting of lying snow. 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.".
On its website, the Met Office explains freezing rain is a rare type of liquid precipitation that strikes a cold surface, and freezes almost instantly, reports Birmingham Live. The conditions needed for freezing rain are quite specific and we don't see this phenomenon very often in the UK. 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. 17 cm of snow had accumulated at Bingley in West Yorkshire by 11:00 on Sunday, with 10 cm at Shap in Cumbria. Snow accumulations have also been recorded more widely across England and Wales away from the far south, although many southern areas are now much milder.
