Snow and sleet forecast for Northern Ireland 21 March 2013 Last updated at 12:21 By Barra Best BBC News Heavy snow and rain is expected to cause disruption in Northern Ireland on Friday and Saturday. Rain and sleet is forecast to move in from the south late on Thursday evening, turning increasingly to snow. An amber warning - which means to be prepared - is in place for eastern counties. The Met Office warns that higher areas, away from the coast, could get as much as 20 to 30cm of snow, particularly over the Antrim hills and the Mournes. In the west, a yellow warning is in force, which means to be aware of potential disruption. Lower ground in Northern Ireland may see between 10 to 15cm of snow and this could be enough to disrupt travel and power supplies. Gale force winds could bring some atrocious conditions with drifting and blizzards expected for many higher areas, in particular. Heavy rain and sleet will be more likely in some eastern coastal areas, with a risk of localised flooding. The strong winds, rain, and wintry showers are expected to remain into Saturday and weather warnings are in place until then. As a result, there is a potential for a large fall of snow. Met Office warnings for ice, rain and snow have also been issued across parts of England, Wales and Scotland for Friday and Saturday. In the Republic of Ireland, Met Éireann has issued warnings for snow and ice in counties Cavan, Monaghan and Donegal while all other areas are being warned of heavy rain and prolonged showers. Although bitterly cold on Sunday, the weather is expected to be calmer then.