THE likelihood of Hampshire seeing a white Christmas has increased, say the nation's weather experts.

With just 24 hours until the big day, forecasters say the chances of seeing a dusting of the white stuff has significantly improved on predictions from a week ago.

Internet forecaster Metcheck.com says there is a 60 per cent chance of the county seeing snow fall on Christmas Day. Others, including the BBC's weathermen, are being slightly more cautious though even they say snow on Christmas Day is possible just about anywhere.

The UK Met Office has also issued an advance warning in relation to snow this weekend, with the chances of heavy snowfall and severe disruption to the Hampshire's roads rated by them at about 30 per cent.

It's also a threat the UK's bookies are taking seriously, with odds on a white Christmas in London slashed from 5-1 to 11-4, though even that had dropped to evens by yesterday.

The snow will be brought in by a cold snap that is due to hit Scotland on Christmas Eve before steadily sinking south.

It would be the first time that Hampshire has seen snow on Christmas Day in 24 years, with the last recorded Christmas snowfall taking place in 1970.

There have been several agonising near misses in previous years, such as in 1999 when snow flurries were reported as far south as Bristol and London, while in 2000 the snow came two days late on December 27.

In 1993, Hampshire almost had a white Christmas as sleet fell across the county in the early hours of December 25, but the temperature managed to stay above freezing.

Southampton is not renowned for Yuletide snow. The city has had a handful of white Christmases in the last 100 years. The city's last five white Christmases were in 1906, 1927, 1938, 1956 and, most recently, in 1970.

According to the Met Office, 1927 was the most spectacular white Christmas, with records showing the south was deep in snow.

Snow was also on the ground on December 25, 1981, but to classify as a white Christmas, snow actually has to fall on Christmas Day and not before.

However with the potential promise of snow also comes are warning from the Met Office and The Highways Agency about hazardous driving conditions on the roads if the promise comes true.

Motorists are already being warned not to take to the country's roads unless absolutely necessary if the bad weather does set in.