What is 'freezing rain' as rare weather phenomenon forecast by Met Office

The Met Office has warned of rare 'freezing rain' ahead of a cold weekend across the UK - but what actually is it?

Freezing rain is a rare weather phenomenon because the conditions for it to form are very specific, therefore we don't see it very often in the UK.

The Met Office explains that freezing rain is a rare type of liquid precipitation that strikes a cold surface, and freezes almost instantly. It can produce striking effects because the rain drop spreads out momentarily across the surface before it freezes, encasing the surface in a layer of clear ice.

But the UK weather agency warns that 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.

On top of that, the glaze of ice on the ground can make roads and pathways extremely slippery. It can also prove extremely hazardous for aircraft.

Freezing rain is more common in other parts of the world, such as the USA, where weather systems produce a lot of freezing rain. These are called ice storms, and if enough glaze collects on trees or power lines, the weight of the ice can cause them to break and can result in disruption on a large scale.

It comes as the Met Office has warned of potential snowfall across the country, in particular over higher ground, with a few centimetres possible in the Grampians and the North Pennines.

The Met Office forecast for the weekend reads: "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."

The Met Office explains that precipitation often first falls from a cloud as snow as long as it is cold enough high up where the