The Met Office has issued yellow snow and ice advisories for parts of northern England and Scotland for today and tomorrow as they anticipate “thunderstorms”.

There are This could cause travel disruptions and blackouts, so let’s find out more about that.

What is the storm?

Thundersnow is an abnormal phenomenon in which heavy rains, usually associated with thunderstorms, fall in the form of snow.

Also known as a thunder blizzard, it is a type of thunder and lightning storm that causes snow to fall instead of rain.

A Met Office said thunderstorms typically occur during the summer months, when warm air below cooler air wants to rise.

However, when thunderstorms do form in winter conditions, they can sometimes result in heavy rain of snow instead of the usual rain.

Is it rare in the UK?

Thunderstorms are rare because they only occur for a few months out of the year.

It’s incredibly rare in the UK, but still possible: less than 5 in a quiet year to 20 or more in an active year.

Meteorological Office meteorologist Emma Sharples said: “It is possible, all you really need is thunder to happen along with the snow.

“So where you have very active or vigorous showers … then we might as well have thunder.” It is certainly possible. “

Interestingly, the snow muffles the sound of thunder crashing into the sky, but the lightning will look even brighter thanks to the reflecting whiteness of the snow.

On Thursday, January 6, 2022, the Met Office issued a thunderstorm warning for parts of northern England, western Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Forecasters warned that residents of those areas could face snow showers and lightning could disrupt travel and cause power outages.

Is the storm dangerous?

Thundersnow produces heavy snowfalls of the order of 5-10 cm per hour.

This can severely limit visibility, even in light winds.

But a thunderstorm is often part of a severe winter storm or blizzard that obviously carries all the normal risks associated with severe cold.

If you absolutely must drive, be sure to prepare in case you get stuck in a snowdrift.

Pack food, water, blankets, torch, first aid kit, fully charged phone, shovel, jumper cables, and de-icer fluid.

Make sure to clean all the windows; it’s actually illegal to drive if you can’t see them all.

Try to stick to main roads that should have been sandblasted and make sure you have a full tank of fuel and check your engine oil and other fluids before setting off.