A SNOW alert warning has been issued for Hampshire as the Met Office confirms snow showers are "likely" to hit the region tonight.

The Met Office says temperatures will start to drop during the afternoon, and could hit freezing during the night.

The agency says sleet and snow showers could then hit the region during the evening, while ice could develop on roads across the county.

Now the agency has confirmed snow showers are "likely" to hit Hampshire this evening.

Sleet and snow could then continue into tomorrow, which could leave some places with a covering of snow early in the morning.

The Met Office now says there is a 60 per cent chance of the South East having severe icy conditions, having only said there would be a 20 per cent chance earlier this morning.

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Hampshire has escaped the worst predictions for snow and ice, with weather warnings in place for much of the rest of the country.

A spokesman for the agency says temperatures in Southampton are unlikely to be low enough for snow - but the rest of the county could see some of the white stuff.

In an updated weather summary, the organisation said: “A few scattered sleet or snow showers are likely, particularly later in the night in the west across Hampshire and Berkshire.
“Icy stretches may from on untreated surfaces.”

Continuing into tomorrow, the Met Office's report continues: “Staying cold and breezy with sunny spells and scattered rain, sleet and snow showers, some heavy enough to give temporary accumulations in places, mainly over hills.”

However anyone hoping for snow in Southampton tomorrow may be disappointed.

A spokesman said: “There is a chance that you will have some rain showers, but it won't be snow.
“It will be three or four degrees, and then Friday will be a dry day, although in the early hours of Friday there may be some wintry showers and some sleet.”