The amber alert is in place between 2pm and 9pm on January 8, the Met Office forecasting service and weather agency said.

The Met Office warned sleet and snow is expected to continue this afternoon and evening as they issued the rare amber alert - as much as four inches (10cm) of snow is expected in the affected region

Weather maps show snow striking counties across the south of England as the Met Office warns of more travel delays, power outages and potential injuries on icy patches. The Met Office has issued a yellow warning for snow covering southern counties of England from 9am until midnight on Wednesday, which could prove disruptive.