Predicting road hazards caused by rain, freezing rain and wet surfaces and the role of weather radar

Abstract

Abstract Freezing rain in the winter of 1995/96 has drawn attention to the severity of black‐ice problems on British roads, additional to the normal increased hazards presented to drivers by any form of precipitation. Disruption to traffic was considerable on several days. Weather radar provides improved nowcasting, for both winter and summer conditions, where available real time directly to highway engineers, but this is not yet generally the case in England and Wales. New developments from the Meteorological Office offer improved possibilities at reasonable costs. Copyright © 1997 Royal Meteorological Society.