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

The latest alert by the British agency warns about the potential dangers snowy, wintry weather can bring to the regions affected by the blast.