Gritters are poised to take to the roads across the county as temperatures are set to dip below freezing.

Kent Highways will deploy salt spreaders on primary roads in the county from 9pm this evening in the face of possible frosting, the authority says.

It comes as overnight road surface temperatures are expected to plummet to -1.1c tonight.

The Met Office predicts temperatures to feel like 1c between 7pm and 3am tomorrow morning, and then drop further to -1c at about 7am and 10am.

Meanwhile, on Saturday, December 2, the temperature is set to feel as cold as -5c overnight in some parts of the county into Sunday, December 3, according to reports.

Explaining the UK is currently sitting in cold air from northern Scandinavia, the Met Office said today: “The weather is turning much colder for the rest of this week and the start of next with daytime temperatures struggling to get above single figures and overnight temperatures staying below freezing for much of the country.”

KCC Highways has advised drivers to watch out for icy patches and stretches particularly on untreated roads overnight and tomorrow morning (Wednesday, December 29).

Motorists should also expect surfaces to be slippery and have been told to drive cautiously making deliberate and slow actions.

Warning people behind the wheel to be aware of hazards, a Kent County Council spokesman advised to “drive cautiously, deliberately and slower in actions.”

“Harsh braking, harsh steering or harsh acceleration are key precursors to skidding on ice and snow,” they said.

In 2018 more than 200 children entered the authority’s competition to name new lorries in its fleet.

Brad Grit, Darth Gritter, Ice Ice Baby, David Plowie and Here We Snow were among the winners.