Thundersnow to frozen waves: crazy weather phenomena caught on camera


As the Beast from the East holds its grip on the nation, a number of freaky weather phenomena have been caught on camera.
Social media users have reported a number of strange episodes of bizarre weather, including thunder snow and freezing rain.
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Hide AdThunder snow
A number of incidents of thundersnow have been recorded by Twitter users.
Thundersnow is an unusual weather event where snow falls as the primary precipitation during a thunderstorm.
Typically this occurs in an area of strong upward motion within the cold sector of a storm.
Unusually the thunder is often silent due to the acoustic dampening effects of the snow.
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Hide AdTwitter user @AberJohnny filmed the rare phenomena from their house in Denny, Central Scotland.
#thundersnow Denny Central Scotland 8pm today@BBCNews @Channel4News @SkyNewsBreak pic.twitter.com/8ioIUNwkUB
— Flipper the Snowman Priest (@AberJohnny) February 28, 2018
@Suzi_Anne filmed the rare weather event from her home in Stenhousemuir.
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Hide Ad@SeanBattySTV #thundersnow in Stenhousemuir, Falkirk ⚡️❄️😱 pic.twitter.com/CIXpv81BvV
— suzanne steven (@suzi_anne) February 28, 2018
Falkirk in central Scotland appeared to bear the brunt of the thunder snow storm, with Robert Peden capturing this footage.
#thundersnow In Falkirk @WindyWilson88 pic.twitter.com/VD4ifyPsyz
— Robert Peden (@RobertPeden) February 28, 2018
Freezing rain
As the snowfall begins to dissipate across the UK, a new type of weather has begun to threaten the country - freezing rain.
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Hide AdFreezing rain occurs when precipitation freezes on contact with surfaces maintained at temperatures below 0 degrees.
This results in dangerous conditions for drivers and pedestrians.
Tom Vickery captured footage of freezing rain bouncing off snowfall.
Slow mo showing the freezing rain bouncing off of the huge amounts of snow which has created a sheet of ice as a layer overnight. Horrendous conditions, stay safe people! pic.twitter.com/76bA76fv2z
— Tom Vickery (@TVickers1) March 2, 2018
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Hide Ad@cathayleyb exhibited the effects of the treacherous conditions on her coat.
#FreezingRain The rain froze on impact on my coat, dog lead and dog!! 😮 pic.twitter.com/LJgg6YoBpf
— Hayley B (@cathayleyb) March 2, 2018
One unfortunate driver's car was completely frozen over.
#ResponseTeamB if you are the unfortunate owner of this vehicle in Tower Hamlets you have ERTBs deepest sympathy! I actually wish I had time to help you clear it 🤭 #frosty #ice #beastfromtheeast pic.twitter.com/wms0YbaryX
— Tower Hamlets MPS (@MPSTowerHam) March 1, 2018
Frozen waves
Kerrie Gibbons captured remarkable footage of waves crashing on Sheppey Beach only to freeze over.
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Hide AdWhile freshwater freezes at zero degrees Celsius, saltwater typically freezes at minus two.
When the sea freezes! Chilly out there 😱 #snowuk #seafreeze #Sheppey #ocean #frozenwaves #MetOffice pic.twitter.com/cFlkSfvD3P
— Kerrie Gibollie💋 (@KerrieGibbons) March 1, 2018
Interior snow
Across the country, cases of snow occurring indoors has also been captured.
Typically occurring in large open buildings vulnerable to the elements, such as train stations, this occurs when condensation is chilled and turned to snow.
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Hide AdThe BBC's Lisa Summers tweeted this example of the phenomenon from Edinburgh Waverley train station.
Incredibly it is #snowing in #WaverleyStation (told it’s moisture turning to snow ❄️) @ScotRail advice remains don’t travel. 30 min service to Ed- Queen Street operating for those who absolutely have to. @BBCScotlandNews pic.twitter.com/eSvtBOHDB0
— LisaSummers (@BBCLisaSummers) March 1, 2018
Train user Mary Duffy revealed that the Caledonian Sleeper was particularly exposed to the conditions when stranded outside of Edinburgh.
Stuck on @CalSleeper outside Edinburgh. Whiteout through the window and it’s snowing through the joints INSIDE the carriages. #snow pic.twitter.com/M5jyDoS3oO
— Mary Duffy (@marybduffy) February 28, 2018
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Hide AdIce pancakes
Though typically found in the Baltic Sea or around Antarctica, ice pancakes made a rare appearance in the UK.
The circular formations occur when foam on a river begins to freeze and swirl in what's known as an eddy.
Jen Bartram tweeted a picture of the rare phenomenon occurring in Kent.
Ice pancakes spotted in Kent! A great weather phenomenon, formed when foam on rivers starts to freeze and swirl in eddies, creating these discs. @bbcsoutheast pic.twitter.com/Aj4m7x1fZN
— Jen Bartram (@JenBartram) February 28, 2018
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Hide AdGiant icicles
The site of icicles is hardly new to anyone who has experienced a British winter.
The Beast from the East has, however, delivered remarkable examples of the protruding spikes of ice.
Photographer Paul Kingston captured this remarkable image of a frozen waterfall in County Durham.
Icicles like cathedral organ pipes as Summerhill Force freezes in County Durham, UK. @StormHour @SnapYourWorld @LucyWeather @clarenasir @UKSnowUpdates #uksnow @ThePhotoHour pic.twitter.com/BmYFb65jlU
— PAUL KINGSTON (@PaulKingstonNNP) March 2, 2018
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Hide AdMeanwhile Network Rail tweeted the extraordinary lengths staff were taking to ensure the running of trains.
👷♀️👷♂️ Our Team Orange isn’t just having to deal with snow and ice on the ground. ❄️Here they are yesterday braving the cold and trying to remove icicles in Ipswich railway tunnel, to prevent damage to trains.🚄#UKsnow #snow #weather pic.twitter.com/h0YZWj9mVO
— Network Rail (@networkrail) March 2, 2018
And finally, Desmond Loughery captured this picture of a waterfall freezing up in Northern Ireland:
Waterfall at Downhill Limavady frozen this morning @WeatherCee @barrabest @bbcweather @ILoveNorthCoast @geoff_maskell @newslineweather @NWSharingZone @VisitorInfoCCAG @RGSheriff pic.twitter.com/yrpTb0rVC7
— Desmond Loughery (@desmondloughery) March 1, 2018
Take care out there, and keep checking in with us for the latest travel advice.