Freezing rain warning as weather expert explains dangers of 'rare' phenomenon

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

The Met Office has warned that a rare weather phenomenon could hit the UK this weekend as a yellow weather warning for snow and ice has been issued for parts of the country.

The UK has been hit by bitterly cold weather in recent weeks as a "Scandinavian high" brought easterly winds and a cold snap to the country.

The Met Office has forecast a cold weekend for most parts of the country, warning that some areas could see "freezing rain" – a rare weather event that can cause "treacherous" conditions.

The Met Office said: "Through Friday night and into Saturday the rain will move further east and as it does, it’ll bump into the colder air. "Some snow and even some freezing rain could fall to lower levels for a time, though snow is unlikely to settle, and ice is not likely to be a widespread issue." According to the UK weather agency, freezing rain is a type of liquid precipitation, like rain, that strikes a cold surface and freezes almost instantly.