THE AMAZING sight of ice forming in Ramsey harbour is believed to be the first time this has happened in living memory.
The Isle of Man’s coldest December for many years has produced temperatures well below zero, resulting in the remarkable sighting of ice in the harbour in Ramsey yesterday.
Thin sheets of ice floated down the harbour as the tide started to turn and the mixture of fresh river water undoubtedly contributed to the freak conditions which allowed the ice to form in the harbour.
The freezing temperature of sea water depends very much on how much salt is in the water. In Ramsey harbour there is always a mixture of fresh and sea water, therefore the degree of salination is virtually impossible to calculate.
Normally, the sea only freezes in northern locations such as inside the Arctic Circle where the air temperatures regularly fall under -20 Centigrade. The freezing temperature for 100% sea water starts at around -18 Centigrade.
In Ramsey yesterday, the temperature of the water in the Sulby River has plummeted following long spell of extremely cold weather. resulting in ice forming where the speed of the river slows sufficiently near the harbour for ice crystals to form.
The Met Office at Ronaldsway said that the coldest official temperature reported this month was on Monday night when -12.5 degrees Centigrade was recorded at the Ellerslie depot in Crosby, although a spokesman didn’t discount the possibility of the temperature being even lower in isolated valleys.
A temperature of -10 was recorded at The Lhen on Monday night whilst overnight temperatures throughout this week across the Island have consistently been between -5 and -10 with similar temperatures expected again tonight (Thursday) and Christmas Eve (Friday).
The spokesman added, “It is very unusual for ice to form where there is sea water. It has probably happened where the fresh water and the sea water have met in the upper parts of where the Sulby River meets the sea water. It would have probably happened where the water was calm, otherwise the ice would not have had a chance to form.
“It has been a very unusual period of prolonged cold weather with extremely low temperatures. We would be very interested to see the photographs."
Photographs by isleofman.com reporter / photographer Bill Dale
