Every 12 months in the county brings with it an equal share of highs and lows, memorable moments and times we would rather forget.

And 2018 has been no different.

The weather has certainly been one of extremes.

Remember the Beast from the East? The icy blast hit the county in February and deposited up to 10 inches of snow in some places.

Areas which had almost forgotten what snow looked like found themselves deluged with the white stuff as it brought chaos to the county for more than a week at the end of February and into early March

In Canterbury, there were cases of the rarely seen 'freezing rain' which saw rain fall as ice, encasing cars and making roads and paths treacherous.

Meanwhile commuters, well used to major problems on the rails at the first sign of snow, found themselves on the 'train from hell'.

A service from London Bridge heading to Dartford was stranded for four hours just outside Lewisham. Packed with travellers, it saw heating and lighting fail, prompting some passengers to force open doors and walk back along the track.

Fast forward just four months, and the weather could not be more different if it tried.

Just as we braced ourselves for an early England exit in the Fifa World Cup in June, Kent did its very best impression of the Caribbean, and drenched us in glorious, relentless hot sunshine for weeks.

As if to celebrate, England surpassed all expectations and reached the semi-final of the tournament.

A pub in Maidstone even found itself not only on the news, but shown to the players themselves, as footage of crowds erupting in joy watching the game spread as the national team notched success after success.

As if to underline the unpredictable nature of the year, they even won a penalty shoot-out. Who would have ever imagined that?

Not as surprising was the further contraction of public services. Despite Prime Minister Theresa May declaring in October the era of austerity was over, no one seemed to have passed that on to our local councils, who continued to struggle to balance the books in the face of further reductions in central government funding.

Kent County Council admitted it was looking at having to shave a further £57m off its out-goings unless the government backed up its claims of providing authorities with more financial assistance, as hinted at in the autumn budget.

The NHS has endured a turbulent year too. Not least in east Kent where a highly divisive shake-up is on-going.

There are two options being considered - one of which includes a downgrading of hospitals in Margate and Ashford with key services centred at a brand new Canterbury facility. The shell of a new hospital site would be built by housing developer Mark Quinn as part of a scheme which would see him also build 2,000 homes.

The debate will continue into 2019 when a formal consultation into the proposals will begin, following a host of public events over recent months.

Whatever option is eventually decided upon, there will be plenty of people left disappointed.

In April, a consultation concluded into a major change in the way stroke services are provided across Kent.

It would see so-called hyper acute stroke units at Dartford, Maidstone and Ashford hospitals, switching existing services from other hospitals.

However, it was announced just earlier this month a final decision had been delayed, although it is expected to be made in January.

Roads are rarely far from the headlines, with the implications of Brexit - in whatever form it eventually takes - having serious repercussions for our roads.

With fears of weeks - or even months - of disruption at our ports, there was much discussion over Operation Brock, the evolution of the dreaded Stack.

Key issues being debated were where all the lorries backing up on our roads were likely to go. And it seems they are likely to be distributed across the county - which may well simply share the pain.

From the M26 in the west, through the heart of the county on the M20, and just to ensure the east is not missing out, the former Manston Airport site could be used too. Heaven help us all if it's called into action.

Talking of Manston Airport, the never-ending saga of the future of the Thanet site continues.

RiverOak, the company which wants to take over the site and re-open it as a cargo hub, finally got its documents in order for the government to peruse.

A decision on whether a development consent order will be granted will be mulled over throughout the year with a decision expected in January 2020.

Lydd Aiport's hopes of building its new runway were held up by problems securing land, but is vowing to conclude any deal during 2019. Airports, it seems, are far from predictable beasts.

And remaining with travel, motorists along the length of the M20 are getting used to seeing bollards and temporary speed restrictions.

From the development of 'smart' motorways - where the hard shoulder is replaced by a running lane between West Malling and Aylesford - to the construction of the new Junction 10a at Ashford, you'll be delighted to learn the work is expected to continue throughout the upcoming 12 months.

The Lower Thames Crossing continues to talk a good game and having just concluded an extensive public consultation, which ended earlier this month, we can expect more concrete plans to emerge in 2019.

Although hopefully no more sink-holes. In May, a hole the size of a tennis court suddenly appeared in the busy A26 Tonbridge Road in Maidstone.

One of the most unlikely news stories of the year was that of a beluga whale emerging in the Thames near Gravesend in September.

Amid initial fears the creature would struggle and possibly not survive, it appears to be quite happy to have swapped its more familiar Arctic surroundings for the north Kent coast.

It has been seen happily feeding and is often spotted by those on the river banks - making it one of the most unlikely tourist attractions this year.

Not only did Gravesham council can its annual firework display, so as not to disturb it, but local traders have been selling everything from beers to cuddly toys to eager visitors.

It's been, somewhat predictably, nicknamed Benny the beluga - although no one has actually got close enough to look up its trouser leg and confirm what sex it is.

Someone else making a splash this year was endurance swimmer Lewis Pugh. He completed his challenge to swim the length of the English Channel - starting at Land's End in Cornwall and finishing in Dover some 49 days later.

The 348-mile summer swim was designed to draw attention to cleaning up our oceans.

He wasn't the only one to become intimately acquainted with jelly fish and other marine life.

Ross Edgley had set off on a misty day from Margate in June and, 157 days later, had completed a remarkable 1,780 mile swim around the entire mainland of Great Britain, when he staggered back on to the same Margate beach in November.

But aside from the stories of triumph there has been tragedy too.

The year started with the court case of Joshua Stimpson, 26. He was found guilty of the frenzied murder of his 23-year-old former girlfriend, University of Kent student Molly McLaren. After their separation he had stalked her before attacking her in her car as she left a gym at the Chatham Dockside shopping complex, stabbing her 75 times.

The brutality and ending of such a young life the previous June left many stunned. He was jailed in February for a minimum of 26 years.

In June, five teenage gang members who had stabbed Gillingham 17-year-old Kyle Yule were jailed for life.

The teenager had been set upon as he left a friend's house as rival gangs clashed the previous October.

Poignantly, 2018 marked the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War.

Folkestone was centre of attention for many given its history of being a key exit and entry port for troops.

It marked the occasion with a huge sand drawing of poet Wilfred Owen which was gently washed away by the incoming tide.

While high streets continue to struggle against our changing shopping habits, many are looking to build their way out of trouble. Ashford has just unveiled a £75m leisure complex in the town centre, Dover officially opened its £53m St James retail and leisure park, while Tunbridge Wells remains up in arms over proposals to shift the civic centre and theatre down the road in a £90m development.

So, what can we expect in 2019?

Undoubtedly, the impact of Brexit will dominate the first six months - first as we approach the exit date, and then the repercussions.

And, who knows, perhaps we'll all find ourselves back at the ballot box if Theresa May's white-knuckle grip on power is finally prised away from her.

Here’s hoping we at least get another glorious summer.