...but just what is it and why is it so dangerous?

THERE are warnings that freezing rain could fall on Greater Manchester this weekend, which could cause travel chaos.

But what is freezing rain? And how is it different to snow or hail?

According to the experts at the Met Office, it is liquid that falls as ‘a supercooled water droplet until it strikes a cold surface, at which point it freezes almost instantly’.

They add: “Freezing rain tends to start its life as snow, ice, sleet or hail, but passes through a layer of air that’s above zero degrees centigrade 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.”

So it’s really, really cold rain which freezes as soon as it hits the ground. Freezing rain be dangerous as the ice it forms on the ground can make roads and pavements slippery, making driving and walking difficult.

The ice can also collect on trees and power lines - which can cause them to break.

The Met Office says the conditions needed for freezing rain to occur are quite specific, which is why it is quite rare in the UK.