Heavy snow falling across Kent is causing accidents on the roads and motorways have come to a standstill.

Traffic is stationary on the A249 Detling Hill which is blocked in both directions due to an accident involving several vehicles and the snow between M20 Junction 7 and the M2 Junction 5.

The M20 is also at a standstill with drivers reporting being stuck for more than 40 minutes.

The coastbound carriageway is blocked just after Junction 8 for Leeds Castle and Maidstone Services due to the snow.

There is also stationary traffic on the A229 Blue Bell Hill and road is impassable.

South East 4x4 Response are out helping get people home from Blue Bell Hill.

Two cars have been involved in an accident on the A26 London Road around Yew Tree Road near Southborough.

Traffic is stationary and the road is impassable because of the incident.

Snow has also made the A247 North Street around High Street in Sutton Valence impassable along with A267 in Tunbridge Wells between the town and Five Ashes.

The A229 between Hawkhurst and Cranbrook, and the A251 between Sandyhurst Lane, Boughton Lees and White Hill, Boughton Aluph is also impassable.

And the A229 Linton Hill is also impassable both ways due to snow at Heath Road.

And the South East 4x4 Response volunteers are out helping people who become trapped in the snow and are currently at Maidstone Hospital in case there is a need for their vehicles.

The M2 between Sittingbourne and Gillingham is also very slow and vehicles have come to a standstill near the Gillingham turn off one the London-bound carriageway.

One woman wrote on the Isle of Sheppey Gossip page on Facebook said: "My daughter is stuck there with her two small kids and is worried as one needs feeding soon."

A group calling themselves Trolls Island 4x4 is offering to tow cars out of the way.

Elsewhere on the M2 near Strood the carriageway is just passable, but there is stationary traffic between Junction 6 for Faversham.

The A2 in both directions is just passable near Cobham and Shorne with, stop-start traffic due to snow and the emergency services and Highways are also advising people not to travel this evening unless absolutely essential.

There are also delays and road is impassable on the A228 Four Elms Hill between Chattenden and the Wainscott bypass.

National Highways says the strategic road network in the county is being particularly hard hit with snow severely impacting the M20 around junctions 8 and 9, the A21 and A249 with drivers struggling to get through.

The resulting traffic is preventing gritters, which are also fitted with snowploughs, from getting through in some areas.

National Highways Duty Operations Manager for the region Gina Oxley said: “We have been out gritting throughout the afternoon and we’re continuing to treat routes so we can reach the worst affected areas and support our customers with their journeys.

“For anyone thinking of travelling tonight our advice would be not to unless absolutely essential as heavy snow is expected to continue until 9am tomorrow."

A car overturned near Faversham on the A251 Ashford Road near the A2 Canterbury Road earlier.

The accident has now cleared but motorists are warned to drive carefully as the wintery weather is set to continue into tomorrow.

And people are having problems getting along Tonbridge Road, in Maidstone, but police are at the scene trying to help people.

The snow fall comes as a yellow weather warning from the Met Office is in place until 9am.

The warning for snow and ice tonight was issued on Friday with the authority saying it could coat the county from 6pm, however it was then brought forward.

The yellow Met Office weather warning was updated at about 9pm to say the snow and ice will bring disruption to travel on roads tonight and tomorrow morning in the county.

The Met Office say the reason the weather alert was brought forward was to account for "some impacts developing late afternoon."

It added: "The likelihood of impacts has also been increased."

Impacts include more possible travel delays on roads with some stranded vehicles and passengers, along with delayed or cancelled rail and air travel.

It also warns some rural communities could become temporarily cut off and there is "a small chance that power cuts will occur and other services, such as mobile phone coverage, may be affected."

It comes as KCC Highways will deploy gritter lorries tonight and tomorrow morning to treat main roads to prevent ice and frost creating dangerous driving conditions.

The authority said: "Motorists are advised to watch out for icy patches/stretches particularly on the untreated roads overnight and into tomorrow morning, and should expect the surface to be slippery.

"They should drive cautiously and be deliberate and slower in actions and not be surprised by 'sudden' traffic light changes or other vehicles braking.

"Harsh braking, harsh steering or harsh acceleration are key precursors to skidding on ice and snow."

Drivers are also being warned to avoid Grosvenor Road in Tunbridge Wells as several cars have been spotted stuck in the area.

The weather has already been causing severe disruption on train lines today due to ice blocking power supplies.

A number of services have not been able to run between Ashford International, Dover Priory and Canterbury East.

Network Rail said the tracks were treated to stop this happening but rain washed anti-freeze away leaving rails coated in ice.

This evening, there was no service on Southeastern between Tunbridge Wells and Hastings due to problems with the signals.

Southeastern is expecting delays to continue into tomorrow.

In its latest statement, the rail operator said: "So that Network Rail can check the rails are clear of snow and ice, which can prevent trains from drawing power from the electric rail, the first trains in each direction on many routes are likely to be cancelled."

Journey planners will be updated with details of any cancellations as soon as they’re confirmed.

To keep up to date with traffic and travel, listen to kmfm as there will be reports in shows until 10pm tonight and starting again from 6am tomorrow morning.