Cars trapped in snow as frost hits South East England

Hundreds of British drivers were stranded in their cars in snow overnight as southeastern England was hit with the coldest spell since 1986.

Local TV channels reported about the worst-affected areas of Sussex and Kent that saw their busiest traffic arteries locked up in the snow. Emergency services and local authorities had to jump in to help motorists out. Forecasters say the cold weather will last several more days.

Frost and sleet have interrupted flights in London’s Gatwick airport and paralyzed England’s main highways, while deep snowdrifts, slippery roads and lack of snow-removal equipment caused traffic to collapse.

The freezing temperatures also brought rail and ferry connection with the continent to standstill.

Some areas in South-East England reportedly saw temperatures drop to a record low of -7°C.