Rare -6C UK weather phenomenon sparks 'danger to life' alert - where and when to expect it

dailyrecord.co.uk:

A rare and dangerous weather phenomenon is set to sweep across the UK, posing potential risks for air travel throughout the week, according to forecasters.

The hazardous weather pattern causing concern is freezing rain – an uncommon type of precipitation that turns to ice instantly when it hits cold surfaces.This event is expected to cross the UK in the next few days, with conditions predicted to worsen over the weekend.As the February mid-term break looms, with many students on break from Monday, there's heightened worry as airports prepare for an influx of travellers.

The Met Office explained: "Freezing rain is a rare type of liquid precipitation that strikes a cold surface, and freezes almost instantly.

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. "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.