Rare freezing rain to 'turn UK into ice rink' this weekend, warns Met Office

14 February 2025, 11:22

Ice storms are set to batter Britain in the coming days as a Scandinavian chill brings sleet and snow.

Freezing rain could turn the UK into an "ice rink" this weekend as a blast of cold weather is set to sweep the country, the Met Office has warned.

The "supercooled" rainfall can be extremely dangerous as it causes large patches of ice to form on roads, making driving conditions risky.

The unusual weather phenomenon, known in the US as an 'ice storm', can also bring down trees and ground planes – and is rarely seen in Britain.

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Sleet, snow, mist and even floods are expected to cause chaos from Friday night to Sunday due to the arrival of a frosty Scandinavian chill.

Met Office forecaster Honor Criswick explained: "There is a chance we could see some hill snow as this area of rain moves into colder air.

"There is even a chance we could see some freezing rain, so do take care as there could be some icy stretches by the morning.

"But for many, most towns and cities will just about drop below freezing, so colder nights are likely compared to recent nights."

She added that Friday evening would see a "chillier night on offer compared to recent nights - likely to see some frost, possibly even some ice too, some outbreaks of rain starting to push into Cornwall, parts of Northern Ireland, perhaps the far South West of Wales later".

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The weather expert continued: "Still continuing to see that risk of freezing rain too, so still a chance of some icy stretches.

"But away from this cloud, an area of rain - that cloud breaking up a bit more so perhaps seeing a bit more sunshine by the time we reach tomorrow afternoon.

"But temperatures remaining fairly similar if not a touch below in some places. So despite a chance of seeing a little bit more sunshine on the cards tomorrow, it is still going to be feeling chilly so we'll need to wrap up warm to enjoy it."

What is freezing rain?

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

Rain usually falls from clouds as snow, but changes its form once it passes through warmer air, eventually reaching the ground as water.

On very rare occasions, rain falls through cold air again just before it hits the floor.

"The droplets can become ‘supercooled’ and this means that they are still falling in liquid form, even though their temperature has fallen below zero," the weather service continued.

"When this ‘supercooled’ droplet hits the ground (which is below zero too) it spreads out a little on landing, and then instantly freezes, encasing the surface in a layer of clear ice. This is why it is called freezing rain."

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