FORECASTERS are predicting more snow is on its way for Hampshire despite a thaw in the weather this afternoon.

Despite a brief respite, more heavy snow is being forecast for the early evening and into the night.

The heavy snow showers are expected to start around 6pm and remain for several hours.

Temperatures will drop to around 2 degrees overnight.

However, the Met Office has lifted the severe weather warning for tomorrow that has been in place since Sunday.

The snow is expected to return towards the end of the week.

However, despite the improvement in weather conditions today many people were still feeling the effects of Hampshire's cold snap.

Southampton Airport was closed this morning as a result of the overnight snowfall.

The runway was reopened by 11.45am and airport bosses said eight flights had been cancelled.

They anticipated delays to around 40 flights throughout the rest of the day but passengers were being advised to check in as normal.

Train services were severely hampered by the weather while some road closures remained in place across the county.

One lane of the A35 at the Redbridge flyover out of Southampton was closed after two cars skidded on the ice.

To further hamper motorists, who were braving the journey to work this morning, fog was reported on roads into Hampshire from Dorset.

The fog was set to continue into the night with a hard frost also predicted as temperatures plummet to minus three degrees overnight.

Council services including bin collections were also expected to be disrupted today. The council run Alpine Ski Centre in Southampton was also forced to close in a strange twist as snow on the slopes was deemed too dangerous by health and safety chiefs.

The snow was judged to make the speeds of people using the artificial slopes to quick.

Meanwhile hundreds of schools and colleges remained closed today due to dangerously icy school sites, difficulties with heating systems and staff shortages as teachers, catering and administration staff struggled to make it into work.

Over stretched hospital services were expecting another busy day with accident and emergency units in the county yesterday reporting high numbers of patients with broken bones from slipping on ice.

The rest of the emergency services were also bracing themselves, with police responding to high numbers of anti-social behaviour calls with reports of snowball throwing gangs.

Don’t miss your copy of today’s Daily Echo for full coverage of how the south coped with the worst snow fall in two decades, including pictures of youngsters making the most of their time off school.

The Daily Echo site will update throughout the day with all the latest weather reports, travel and services affected by the weather.