A SNOW warning covering Hampshire has been upgraded as weather experts warn of the potential for "heavy snow".

The Met Office has today upgraded their yellow warning of snow to amber.

It warns of "heavy snow" likely on Thursday afternoon and evening and of travel disruption on roads and trains.

The warning covers parts of the New Forest and further west towards Dorset.

Daily Echo:

A separate yellow warning for snow remains in place for Southampton and the rest of Hampshire.

The warning will be in place from 1pm today until late Friday.

Ahead of the newest warning, Hampshire County Council has announced it is working "round the clock" to ensure the area's roads are prepared.

Councillor Rob Humby, Executive Member for Environment and Transport at Hampshire County Council, said: “Our winter fleet is salting the main roads continuously.

"We are doing everything we can to prepare for snow, but, if the forecast is correct, we are certainly going to have our work cut out.

"Rain is forecast from this afternoon, which will then turn to snow.

"This means that salt already on the roads may be washed away, and our winter fleet will have to start salting again as soon as the rain eases ahead of the freeze.

"We have 43 salting lorries and each route takes about three hours to complete.

"We would ask everyone who travels on Hampshire’s roads to think about their travel arrangements, be prepared for bad weather and either try to avoid travelling where practical or to plan their journeys carefully if they need to be out and about tomorrow evening.

Daily Echo:

Last year, Hampshire was blanketed by snow after a combination of cold weather patterns combined over the county.

Ice-cold Siberian winds, known as the Beast from the East, buffeted the county, turning a storm from the south into a heavy layer of snow.

The unusual weather pattern caused traffic chaos across Hampshire and a long list of school closures.