National Highways and Southeastern warn people not to travel due to heavy snow in the South East

  • This was Blue Bell Hill in Kent on Sunday (Credit: Michael Smith).


People in the South experienced travel disruption on Monday morning (12 December) due to heavy snow on Sunday evening (11 December), with up to 10cm of snow forecast.

Road users in the South East are being asked by National Highways not to travel unless it's essential.

Kent has been particularly hard hit, with snow severely impacting the M2, the M20 around junctions 8 and 9, the A21 and the A249, with drivers struggling to get through, the organisation said.

Treacherous driving conditions have been reported on the A23 southbound heading to Brighton, and A27 eastbound towards Lewes.

Snow blanketing the ground in Crowborough, East Sussex. Credit: PA

As a result of the severe disruption, Southeastern are also advising passengers not to travel this morning (12 December).

South Western Railway is warning of delays and cancellations, particularly at London Waterloo, the message is to check before leaving home.

A train driver in Kent said he had gone to work to run an empty train, in order to clear the conductor rail clear of snow but ended up "on standby".

In a video, posted on Twitter, sparks could be seen flying as the carriages went past.

  • Sparks were flying, as a ghost train tried to clear the tracks. (Credit: @kenttraindriver)

Gritters have been out onto the roads to make them safer for motorists.

The weather has also affected the reintroduction of Operation Brock on the M20. The contraflow system was due to be in place from today in Kent but it's been postponed.

  • Lee Douglas filmed the snow falling onto the runway at Gatwick on Sunday:

Airports were also being affected, with Gatwick having to close their runways to clear snow on Sunday.

Although both airports were open on Monday, several flights from Gatwick and Heathrow were cancelled and passengers were warned to expect disruption.

Some schools in Kent and Sussex took the decision to close, with it deemed too dangerous to travel.

Dartford Grammar School, St Gregory's Catholic School in Tunbridge Wells, and New Line Learning Academy in Maidstone are among those which have shut.