In the freezing weather there have been reports of mysterious prongs of ice sticking up from frozen water, like miniature versions of Excalibur, and were seen in bird baths, drinking bowls and even a saucepan left outside in the cold.
This is a phenomenon known as “ice spikes” and, although usually shaped like spears, they can also appear as upside-down pyramids, vases, flags, arrowheads, double horns and some other bizarre shapes.
The magic to ice spikes is the way water freezes on the surface of a pool of water, especially in a small container. Ice starts forming from the outer edge of the water before gradually icing over towards the centre. As the ice thickens, it expands and a weakness or hole can appear in
