People in the UK have been warned to prepare for freezing rain over the next few days - a rare occurrence that can cause trees to fall and disrupt air travel.
When it hits a cold surface, the liquid precipitation quickly freezes, momentarily spreading out before forming a clear layer of ice that covers the surface.
It may be visible tomorrow and over the weekend.
The weight of the ice poses a significant threat, as it can become heavy enough to knock down trees or power lines, and transform roads or pathways into slippery ice surfaces.
Freezing rain, which is more common in the US, can also pose a hazard to aircraft, as thick layers of ice on the ground can be challenging to clear from planes.
This process begins when precipitation falls from a cloud as snow, only to transition to rain if it passes through warmer air before touching down to the ground.
Then, if these droplets fall through cold air again, they can become 'supercooled' – meaning they remain in liquid form, even though their temperature is below zero.
When this "supercooled" droplet hits the ground, which is also below freezing, it spreads out slightly upon landing and then freezes immediately, covering the surface with transparent ice.
Conditions similar to these could be experienced in Britain in the coming days, as high pressure located to the north and east of the country continues to bring cloud and cold air.
There is also a possibility of snowfall over higher ground in Scotland and northern England this weekend.
Met Office forecaster Honor Criswick stated that conditions have been 'cloudy and grey for a considerable period now' and will persist in most areas today, with temperatures ranging from 5C (41F) to 6C (43F).
She stated that tonight would experience a cooler night compared to recent nights, with a possibility of frost and even ice forming, and that outbreaks of rain were expected to move into Cornwall, Northern Ireland, and possibly the far southwestern part of Wales later.
Ms Criswick continued, "There's a possibility we might see some snow on the hills as this area of rain moves into colder air. We may also see some freezing rain, so please be cautious as there could be icy patches by the morning."
For many areas, temperatures are expected to drop below freezing tonight, resulting in a colder night compared to recent ones, and frost is likely to develop by morning as well.
She stated that tomorrow will start with a 'cool' atmosphere, accompanied by scattered rain showers that will gradually move north-eastwards, with a possibility of snowfall in hilly areas.
Ms. Criswick continued: 'We're still expecting a risk of freezing rain, which means there's still a possibility of icy patches. However, outside of the cloud, an area of rain is developing, and as the cloud breaks up, we might see some sunshine by tomorrow afternoon.
'There will be temperatures close to current levels, possibly slightly cooler in some areas. Although there's a possibility of seeing more sunshine tomorrow, it will still be quite cool, so we'll need to dress warmly to make the most of it.'
Tonight, fronts are expected to make some progress into western areas of the UK, bringing rain to south-western England and a possibility of wintry conditions over high ground in Northern Ireland in the early hours of tomorrow.
A significant portion of the UK will experience clearer conditions tomorrow morning with the possibility of frost forming overnight.
Forecasters indicated that the fronts will not make significant progress by tomorrow, with the possibility of heavy rain in southern Wales and southwestern England.
By Friday evening, the rain will move further to the east and encounter a colder air mass – bringing snow likely over higher elevations in Scotland and northern England.
The Met Office stated that a few centimeters of snow is possible in the Grampians and North Pennines, adding: 'Some snow and even some freezing rain could fall to lower elevations at times, though snow is unlikely to accumulate, and ice is not expected to be a widespread issue.'
For the weekend, Ms Criswick stated: 'We still have this struggle between the high pressure in the East and low pressure in the West and as this brings in some frontal systems and some rain, it falls into the colder air. Still a chance we could see some snow, once again a risk of some freezing rain.
'And we end up with a split between the colder air still across the northeastern part of the country - perhaps something a bit milder across the South West, but for many, it's still going to remain quite cold.'
'More sunshine is expected on Saturday, but clouds are likely to persist on Sunday. There's a possibility that temperatures could rise slightly as we enter next week.'
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