Could there be snow across the south east before Christmas?

With the temperatures dropping across the country, there's a chance the south east could see snowfall ahead of Christmas.

Gritters are heading out onto the roads to make the roads safer for motorists with National Highways urging drivers to take care during the poor weather.

But could we see snow in our region?

ITV Meridian Weather Presenter Philippa Drew said: "Arctic air will continue to seep southwards over the coming days and the cold conditions are expected to last well into next week.

"With an increasing chance of showers we could see some snow, particularly over higher ground and this could lead to disruption with local accumulations and icy surfaces."

Temperatures in Benson in Oxfordshire dropped to -8.2 degrees on Wednesday night - the coldest night of the season so far, and one of the coldest areas of the UK.

How cold does it need to be for it to snow?

According to the Met Office, snow falls when the air temperature is below 2°C, expelling the myth that is needs to be below zero to snow.

Its website explains the falling snow does begin to melt as soon as the temperature rises above freezing.

If the temperature is warmer than 2°C then the snowflake will melt and fall as sleet rather than snow.