Scotland is to prepare itself for an unusual weather event as we head into winter, with areas across the UK hit with a phenomenon known as ‘freezing rain’ in the coming weeks.

WXCharts indicate that temperatures will plummet across parts of Scotland including Inverness, the Cairngorms, and Perth who are likely to be hit by a rare weather event known as freezing rain on November 15.

Those in Ullapool, Dingwall, the Cairngorms, Dufftown, Brechin, Strathcarron, Edinburgh, Galashiels and Hawick can also expect some snow showers, with rainfall over Northern Ireland.

The Met Office long-range forecast from Thursday November 14, to November 28, indicates, “After a relatively settled start to November, around mid-month there will probably be a change toward more unsettled conditions.

“This means an increased chance of periods of wet and windy weather for parts of the UK, perhaps more so in the south. However, there is low confidence whether unsettled, wetter weather or drier and more settled conditions will dominate by the end of the month. Temperatures will probably be close to average overall, although some colder interludes are possible.”

What is freezing rain?

wxcharts weather map november 2024
Snow and freezing rain (in orange) is forecast to fall on Scotland in the middle of November (Image: WXCharts)

Freezing rain explains the phenomenon of when liquid rain freezes the moment it hits a cold surface. The Met Office explained it’s often a rare occurrence in the UK and that “quite specific” conditions are needed for the event to unfold.

Explaining further how it turns into ice when hitting a cold surface, the Met Office explained: “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.”

What are the dangers of freezing rain?

As well as causing icicles to form on cars and buildings, the Met Office warned that freezing rain can cause serious devastation.

They outlined the dangers that can come with freezing rain, as the weight of the ice can not only prove hazardous for travelling conditions but bring down trees.

“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,” they explained.

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It comes as the weather will take a chilly turn, creating a chance of widespread snow showers which will reach the Highlands, as we reported previously. One map from WXCharts shows the likelihood of snow falling over the UK on Monday, November 11.

Although snow has already fallen lightly over the Highlands this autumn, this would be the first time snow has been seen in areas further south.

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