A yellow weather warning for ice has been issued across parts of the UK on Thursday.
Forecasters said the East Midlands, North East England, North West England and Yorkshire and Humber will be affected between 3 and 9am.
The Met Office has predicted wintery showers and temperatures close to 0C, which may lead to the development of icy surfaces.
Icy conditions may increase the risk of injuries and accidents on untreated roads and cycle paths, forecasters warned.
The Met Office said: “Showers will continue through Wednesday and Wednesday night, falling as sleet or hail at times, and possibly as snow over hills for a time.
“Clear spells in between will allow temperatures to fall close to zero, with some untreated surfaces turning icy later tonight and at first on Thursday, especially over the Pennines and Peak District.
“This means that some icy patches on some untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths could develop, meaning people in this area should take extra care on the morning commute before temperatures rise through the morning.”
⚠️ Yellow weather warning issued ⚠️
— Met Office (@metoffice) March 12, 2025
Ice across parts of northern England
Thursday 0300 – 0900
Latest info 👉 https://t.co/QwDLMfRBfs
Stay #WeatherAware⚠️ pic.twitter.com/aJiRsRh6kI
The icy weather comes after forecasters predicted the UK is likely to see a polar vortex in March - a weather phenomenon responsible for 2018’s ‘Beast from the East’.
A sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) was behind the winter storm which struck Britain in March 2018, bringing heavy snow, ice and strong winds and leading to 17 deaths across the UK.
Forecasters believe there is an 80 per cent chance of an SSW, which involves the rapid descent of cold air from the stratosphere known as a polar vortex collapse, occurring by the middle of the month.
The phenomenon is characterised by a reversal of winds, called the stratosphere polar vortex, high in the stratosphere. These winds are currently weakening rapidly.
A weakening of winds above the Arctic happens when natural weather patterns or disturbances lower down in the atmosphere disrupt their flow.
Then, the cold air rapidly descends in the polar vortex and causes the temperature high up in the stratosphere to rise rapidly.
This is known as SSW, but because it takes place up to 50km above the Earth’s surface, the warming effect is not noticeable on the ground.
The SSW can sometimes cause the jet stream to ‘snake’ more, tending to create a large area of blocking high pressure.
Typically this will form over the North Atlantic and Scandinavia, which means northern Europe and the UK are likely to get a long spell of dry, cold weather.
It comes after Britons enjoyed warm sunny spells over the weekend, with temperatures exceeding those in the Spanish capital of Madrid on Saturday.
Although the Met Office has predicted the middle of March to be unsettled, with spells of rain and strong winds across the UK, dry and bright conditions could develop again later in the month.
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