HEAVY snow was affecting almost all parts of Kent again today and there were a number of road traffic accidents around the county.

A car went into the crash barrier on the M2 motorway between Sittingbourne and Faversham. A car skidded off the road in Hubbards Hill, Lenham, near Maidstone, at about 9am, but no-one was injured.

Motorists faced treacherous conditions on the A249 between Detling Hill and Stockbury as snow made it difficult to drive. Two lorries jackknifed and blocked the road at about 11am and the road was closed in both directions.

The A229 at Blue Bell Hill, between Maidstone and Chatham, was shut by Kent Police. Charing Hill, near Ashford, was also seriously affected and presented major problems for motorists attempting to get to and from work.

Conditions were also reported to be difficult on the A274 at Sutton Valence hill and Boxley Hill, and traffic through Maidstone town centre was reported to be at a crawl along Sutton Road and Loose Road.

Maidstone and Malling Police received several reports of broken down vehicles, with a minor shunt in Drawbridge Close, Maidstone, at 11.45am.

Motorist Denise Eaton was forced to turn back after travelling half a mile along the M2 in two hours. Speaking from near Junction 3 of the motorway, she said: "The road was littered with cars with their hazard lights on. We are not moving at all. It’s really slippery and slushy."

In both east and west Kent snow was falling steadily before dawn and continued well into the afternoon, coating roads and pavements and making for hazardous driving conditions.

Traffic delays caused by the closure of Crescent Road, Tunbridge Wells for resurfacing work were exacerbated by the weather, and the peak morning period saw long tailbacks on all major routes into the town.

The A26, crossing the Kent-Sussex border between Tunbridge Wells and Crowborough, was particularly badly affected by snow and ice.

Fire crews were called to an incident where an electricity unit at the side of a railway line near Dover Priory Station caught fire.

Water from heavy rain and snow had caused the unit to catch fire. It carries a voltage of 750 volts and is used to power trains using the electrified third rail.

Watch manager, Tony Northcott, said that fire crews were on standby, while Railtrack staff dealt with the fire. "There were quite a few pops and bangs, and it did look quite spectacular," he said.

Walderslade, near Chatham, is one of the areas worst hit but the neighbouring towns of Gravedsend and Dartford appear to have escaped much of the snow. There is just drizzly rain bordering on sleet.

On the trains, all South Eastern services were "severely disrupted", especially in the Maidstone area.

The Met Office has predicted that the worst may shortly be over - and the weekend will bring only a few wintry showers of rain and increasing temperatures. A spokeswoman said: "There will be a frosty start in the morning on Friday, with a band of rain which should clear."

Margaret Emerson from the MET office told KM-fm her predictions for tonight and tomorrow...