THE Met Office has issued a severe weather warning for Hampshire, with heavy snow forecast for the south.

As the sub-zero temperatures that blighted Hampshire before Christmas make a return, local councils said they were more than ready for another cold snap.

The Southampton-Eastleigh-Winchester area has been given an 60 per cent chance of heavy snow.

The expected snowfall marks a return to the Arctic weather that hit Hampshire shortly before Christmas.

Residents across the region were unable to leave their homes as cars skidded off driveways while commuters were left in queues of traffic as the carriageways were littered with vehicles that had spun out of control.

With more freezing weather on the way today, councils are reassuring residents that they are ready to deal with whatever the Arctic temperatures may bring.

A Southampton City Council spokesman said: “We have hundreds of tonnes of rock salt stored ready for the next cold snap, and we have quick access to more if we need it.

“The council has five large gritting lorries and more than 35 smaller vehicles which we can use to grit the roads and pavements.

“In the worst conditions we would get more that 100 staff gritting the city.”

Hampshire County Council was unable to comment, instead referring to a statement issued on December 22 stating that a “major countywide salting operation” had been launched.