Parts of Britain could witness the rare weather phenomenon of freezing rain as the latest weather maps have turned bright orange for December 21.
According to the weather maps from WXCharts, the unusual weather conditions are likely to be seen in areas around Fort William, Portree and Inverness where 15mm/hour of freezing rain is possible.
The Met Office states that freezing rain is a rare type of liquid precipitation that strikes a cold surface, and freezes almost instantly.
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.
The forecaster explained: “Freezing rain is more common in other parts of the world, for example in the USA, where weather systems produce a lot of freezing rain.
According to the latest maps, the rare weather event will bring more chaos to the northern parts of the country. WXCharts maps show while some northern areas of the country will experience freezing rain on December 21, others will be covered under layers of snow upto 11cm.
Explaining how the water droplets freeze, the forecaster shared: “Freezing rain tends to start its life as snow, ice, sleet or hail, but passes through a layer of air that’s above 0 °C on the way down to the ground, melting into a liquid water droplet.
“If these droplets then fall through a zone of sub-zero air just above the ground, they become supercooled.
“When these supercooled droplets strike surfaces that are close to or below freezing, they freeze on impact forming a glaze of ice.”
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. The freezing rain can also prove extremely hazardous for aircraft.
In it’s long-range forecast between December 21 and January 4, the Met Office doesn’t say anything about freezing rain but suggests some possibility of sleet and slow.
It stated: “Mainly unsettled conditions appear likely for most, with spells of wind and rain followed by showers affecting most areas but especially towards the north or northwest.
“Some sleet and snow is also possible at times, especially on high ground in the north. However, there are also some signs that more settled conditions are possible at times, these perhaps most likely across the south late in December or into early January.
“Temperatures are likely to be around average overall, with any more settled interludes bringing a risk of frost and fog.”
