SLEET is forecast for a part of Dorset on Monday, which could turn out to be one of the coldest April days on record.

The Met Office had forecast heavy snow in Shaftesbury earlier this afternoon, but is now predicting sleet showers from 4am until 10am on Monday.

Other parts of Dorset are set to see heavy rain and it could feel like -1C in parts.

Twitter-based weather forecaster Dorset Sun (Dorset Snow in winter) told the Daily Echo that hills in Dorset "could see wet snow".

However, lower altitude areas are more likely to see heavy rain "with some sleet mixed in".

"Because Shaftesbury is located on top of a hill it tends to have a bit of a microclimate," they said.

They added: "It could be "potentially one of the coldest April days on record, highs of just 3-6C.

"Wintry showers in April are fairly common, however to get a weather system bringing potentially prolonged snow is very rare."

The Met Office is forecasting temperatures to feel as low as -5C in Shaftesbury on Monday.

For the wider region, the weather will be "cloudy, cold and windy with some persistent and heavy rain possible".

Temperatures will rise again on Tuesday, with highs of 10/11C in Dorset.