HUNDREDS of schools across Hampshire were closed and services disrupted as snow fell across the county.

Schools including Crestwood Community College in Eastleigh, were forced to open late while The Henry Beaufort School in Winchester was closed completely after snow swept in from the south west on Thursday night.

Dozens of schools in the north of the county were also closed yesterday, over fears for the safety of students, staff and parents.

Bus operators Xelabus and Bluestar reported disruption to their service on Friday morning, while Winchester Market was cancelled due to the snow.

But roads and trains remained clear in large parts of Hampshire and Southampton, with councils sending out gritters as early as Thursday lunchtime in a bid to stop a repeat of the traffic chaos caused during the Beast from the East last March.

Preparations began after the Met Office issued a yellow warning for Hampshire.

The warning was later upgraded to amber for the west of the county, including parts of the New Forest, as weather experts tracked the cold-weather pattern coming in from the south-west.

A yellow warning remains in place until 11am today, with the Met Office warning of the possibility of ice from melting snow.

The weather experts say temperatures will begin to rise to around 2C on Saturday.

Temperatures will then dip below freezing overnight, before rising to highs of 6C in on Sunday.

The Met Office is predicting cloudy but dry weather throughout next week.