London commuters faced a perilous journey to work this morning as the capital’s streets were transformed into “lethal” sheets of ice.
Yellow ice warnings for ice are in place across England on Wednesday, raising the risk of slips and falls on pavements and cycle paths.
It comes as Storm Goretti is set to bring up to eight inches of snow to the UK on Thursday, as strong winds deliver severe wintry weather from France.
Taking to social media this morning, one Londoner wrote: “Alright I'm over the ice in London now. Risking life and limb for the luxury of going to work- no thanks.”
The capital has been likened to an “ice rink” by commuters struggling to stay upright, with many describing treacherous black ice as a “death trap.”
Michael Volpe OBE wrote on X: “London a bit caught out this morning. Pavements and roads treacherous with ice and no gritting in sight. Seen at least three people go feet up..”
“We need slippery surface flags in SE London. The pavements currently have ice rink-esque qualities,” another person wrote.
“This ice is grabbing victim after victim in this London,” another said.
Roads coming into the City from south-east London were treacherous with large patches of ice.
Matt Watts, the Standard’s deputy news editor, told how he came off his bike after hitting a patch of black ice on his way into work around 7am.
i’ve almost said my goodbyes to the world about three times thanks to this black ice around london pic.twitter.com/yyLmpSMgfZ
— Alice Cousins (@alicecousins92) January 7, 2026
He said: "The roads were a complete nightmare. Drivers and cyclists had to really slow down as they maneuvered their way over them. Parts were like an ice rink, there didn't seem to have been any grit put on them.
"Luckily when I came off there wasn't a car behind me or it could have been a very nasty accident.”
A yellow weather warning for ice was in place for the capital until 10am.
Minor travel disruption was expected and commuters have been advised to take extra care when travelling on untreated roads or slippery surfaces.
Forecaster Nick Finnis for Netweather wrote on X: “Lethal out there this morning, wet surfaces from overnight rain has turned to ice here and widely as ground temperatures fell to freezing.
“Not sure if the main roads have been gritted in early hours after rain stopped, but minor ones like our street are an ice rink.”
Passer-by rescues man from frozen lake after dog rescue attempt A passer-by has been praised for his bravery after pulling a man from a frozen lake in Epping Forest when he fell through the ice while trying to rescue a dog.
— London & UK Street News (@CrimeLdn) January 6, 2026
The incident happened on Sunday afternoon at Connaught… pic.twitter.com/gAEt8IgDSN
Snow is likely to develop over higher ground areas in south Wales on Thursday, before rain turns to snow more widely across England and Wales overnight, the Met Office says.
London and the southwest might just escape the snowfall, with any flurries likely to turn to rain later on Thursday.
But it will remain cold in the capital, with a maximum temperatures of 6C.
Heavy rain, along with possible sleet and snow, is expected to pass quickly through London before clearing in the afternoon, with dry conditions and light winds forecast for Saturday.
