Operation Stack was implemented as rain and winds of up to 63mph lashed the coast on Tuesday.

Phase one – the closure of the coastbound carriageway of the M20 between junctions 11 at Stanford and 12 for Cheriton – was implemented at around 4pm but was lifted just before midnight.

The stretch of the road is used to queue lorries that are travelling to the continent, to avoid causing gridlock on Kent's road network.

Wildcat strike action by French workers on Eurotunnel on Tuesday morning and an increased amount of traffic because of the bad weather led to a build up of lorries queuing for the Port of Dover and the Channel Tunnel.

Elsewhere, all sailings on TransEuropa between Ramsgate and Ostende were cancelled due to the weather.

Ferries out of Dover also experienced problems. P&O said crossings to Calais were delayed by up to 45 minutes, although it advised anyone wanting to travel to check in as normal.

Crossings on DFDS Seaways between Dover and Dunkirk and on SeaFrance between Dover and Calais also ran behind schedule because of the strong winds.

Meanwhile, several fallen trees caused difficulties on Kent's railways.

The Southeastern service between Dover Priory and Canterbury East was suspended for a time after one fell on the line at Kearsney.

There were also delays of up to 45 minutes between Hastings and Tunbridge Wells and delays of up to 30 minutes on Southern between Redhill and Tonbridge.

Police warned drivers to take extra care on the roads and to allow plenty of time for journeys.

Were you caught up in the high winds? Tell us your tale or, better still, send your photos to multimediadesk@thekmgroup.co.uk