IT may be the first day of the meteorological spring but Dorset could see between 10 and 20cm of snow over the next 24 hours, the Met Office has warned.

Dozens of schools in Dorset announced on Wednesday they would be closing their doors today. 

An amber alert for the whole of Dorset is in force from 2pm today until 8am on Friday.

Hampshire Police has urged people not to travel unless absolutely necessary today. 

A spokesperson said: "Please think carefully about whether you have to drive on Thursday."

Disruption has been seen across much of the country this week due to the ‘Beast from the East’, but so far Dorset has been largely unaffected.

Temperatures felt like minus 11C yesterday and snow was seen falling in Bournemouth, Poole and other parts of Dorset earlier this week, however, a “widespread blanket of snow” is now expected.

The event will be caused by a band of moist air coming up from the south due to the Storm Emma, named by the Portuguese meteorological service, which will bump into colder air.

Met Office spokesperson Grahame Madge said we could “easily” see 10 to 20cm of snowfall widely across Dorset and the rest of South West.

However, he said freezing rain could be more of a problem and the signal it would occur was now “very strong”.

He said: “The warning we have in place is recognising we’ve got potential for sustained snow and freezing rain."

“Freezing rain is potentially more serious.

“We’re expecting a widespread blanket of snow. Strong easterly winds could cause snow to drift, with places potentially cut off and without power.”

He said although we’ve seen snow showers this week, we could see a “more continuous band of snow”.

He said confidence in the event occurring had grown and urged people to think about delaying travel and not being too reliant on power supplies and mobile networks.

He added: “This is the first time this winter the South West and West could be seriously affected.”

A yellow warning for ice has also been issued for much of the UK, including Dorset, for Saturday from just after midnight until 9am.

The Met Office’s Chief Forecaster says: “A combination of low temperatures and surfaces likely to be wet, from earlier rain and snow or a partial thaw of lying snow, will lead to icy stretches forming on untreated surfaces.”