Yellow weather warning for ice covering parts of UK issued by Met Office as temperatures drop

Forecasters have indicated that the East Midlands, North East England, North West England and Yorkshire will be affected between 3 am and 9 am.

The Met Office predicts wintry showers and temperatures close to 0C, which could lead to the formation of icy surfaces.

Icy conditions may increase the risk of injuries and accidents on untreated roads and cycle paths, according to forecasters.

The Met Office stated: “Showers will continue at times through Wednesday and Wednesday night, falling as sleet or hail at times, and possibly briefly as snow over hills.

“Clear spells in between will allow temperatures to drop close to zero, with some untreated surfaces turning icy later tonight and at first on Thursday, especially over the Pennines and Peak District.”

The icy weather follows predictions that the UK may experience a polar vortex in March, a weather phenomenon that was responsible for the 2018 ‘Beast from the East.’

A sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) triggered the winter storm that struck Britain in March 2018, bringing heavy snow, ice and strong winds, resulting in 17 deaths across the UK.

Forecasters estimate an 80 per cent chance of an SSW occurring by mid-March, which involves the rapid descent of cold air from the stratosphere known as a polar vortex collapse.

This phenomenon is characterised by a reversal of winds high in the stratosphere, which are currently weakening rapidly.

The weakening of winds above the Arctic occurs when natural weather patterns or disturbances lower in the atmosphere disrupt their flow.

Subsequently, cold air rapidly descends in the polar vortex, causing temperatures high up in the stratosphere to rise quickly.

This is called SSW, but because it takes place up to 50km above the Earth’s surface, the warming effect is not noticeable on the ground.

SSW can sometimes cause the jet stream to become wavier, often leading to a large area of blocking high pressure.

Typically, this forms over the North Atlantic and Scandinavia, meaning northern Europe and the UK are likely to experience a prolonged spell of dry, cold weather.