Additional reporting by Cara Simmonds

Heavy snow across large parts of Kent forced schools to shut their doors and caused commuter chaos.

Some schools were forced to close their doors because of the conditions, with a weather warning in place urging motorists to reconsider any journeys.

Bosses at St John Fisher Comprehensive in Chatham told parents they have decided to shut after inspecting surrounding roads.

The Thomas Aveling School in Rochester is also closed because of the "adverse weather conditions".

Cornwallis Academy in Maidstone is shut today due to the site being extremely hazardous".

The full list of school closures can be viewed here.

Meanwhile, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the Met Office activated a level three cold weather alert across the south east, which is in place until 11.59pm on Thursday.

The Met Office has removed the yellow weather warning covering Kent from midnight this morning to 7am tomorrow.

It was updated to extend the warning area further north and remove parts of the south of England "where the likelihood of impacts from snow and ice has waned".

Kent County Council (KCC) is urging residents to look out for vulnerable family members, friends and neighbours as the temperature could plummet to -3C in some areas.

Roads out of Maidstone were clear early on but traffic was struggling on its way down Blue Bell Hill towards the town and one lane was impassable in the opposite direction during rush-hour.

The London-bound A2 was at a standstill and there seemed to be issues on the coast bound M20.

There were also reports of queueing traffic on the A267 in Mark Cross between the B2100 (Mark Cross) to B2099 Wadhurst Road (Frant).

Meanwhile, Network Rail told people to check before they travelled as snow was "impacting a few services this morning".

"More snow is forecast this afternoon with disruption to services expected from 5pm onwards," it said.

"Please consider travelling home earlier than usual."

More sleet and snow is expected across southern England and south Wales today while scattered snow and hail showers will impact Scotland’s northern coasts as the Arctic blast intensifies.

The Met Office’s early morning radar showed an area of rain moving in from the south and west which was starting to turn increasingly to sleet and snow as it pushed north and east.

The forecasting body’s chief meteorologist, Matthew Lehnert, said the weather could cut off rural communities in the north and impact travel over the next few days across southern England and south Wales.

"Snow, ice and low temperatures are the main themes of this week’s forecast, with the UK under an Arctic maritime air mass," he said.

"Snow could lead to some travel disruption, with a chance some rural communities in the north could be cut off.

"The focus for the snow moves to southern England and South Wales tomorrow and some may wake up to a few centimetres of snow, with the south coast and far south-west likely to see a mix of rain and sleet. Further snow and hail showers are also expected along northern coasts, especially in northern Scotland."

He added: "During the afternoon, a further spell of sleet and snow is likely to develop across southern England and South Wales which could cause travel disruption into the evening.

"The impact of lying snow and ice on untreated surfaces may have an impact on Thursday morning travel."