What is freezing rain and how does it happen?

Arab weather - Sinan Khalaf - freezing rain, or freezing rain , or icy rain are all names for one natural phenomenon that is directly related to the weather, but what is freezing rain ? And how it is falling?

What is freezing rain?

Freezing rain is a term given to rain when it falls in its liquid state, and it freezes directly upon contact with the surface of the earth forming a layer of ice, due to the decrease in surface heat to freezing.

How is freezing rain formed?

The freezing rain journey begins as a normal raindrop that falls from the clouds in a liquid state during its passage through the middle atmosphere, when the temperature in this layer is higher than the freezing point, and is warmer than the surface of the earth, while the temperature on the surface of the earth is equal to or less than one degree Freezing, which causes these drops to freeze directly when they reach the ground and touch everything that is on them.

What are the conditions for the occurrence of freezing rain?

In order for rain to form, two important conditions must be met:

• That the temperatures in the middle atmosphere are warmer than the surface of the earth
• The Earth's temperature should be less than 0 ° C

Is freezing rain dangerous?

Freezing rain often affects negatively on human life and daily activities due to the extensive freezing and ice layer caused by freezing rain that limits the movement of people and makes them vulnerable to accidents such as slip, falls and vehicle accidents, in addition to their direct impact on many economic sectors and their destruction of infrastructure

Damages caused by freezing rain

• Energy and electricity sector: The freezing rain on the electrical wires often causes them to be cut and damaged, and consequently, blackouts
• Agriculture sector: The freezing rain causes the destruction and freezing of agricultural crops
• Transport and connectors: Freezing rain causes significant losses in the transportation sector, as a result of traffic accidents that occur due to slipping and lack of control of vehicles due to the ice layer.
• Aviation: The freezing rain affects many types of aircraft in terms of ability to fly, especially the helicopter