SNOW and freezing conditions are forecast for the region during the next 48 hours.

The Met Office has issued an early severe weather warning across many parts of the UK for Thursday and Friday, including south east London and Kent.

The forecast is mostly dry overnight but becoming increasingly cloudy with rain near southern coasts by morning.

Rain combined with temperatures as low as -2C could mean several centimetres of snow across the News Shopper region with drifting in strong south easterly winds.

The cold snap is expected to pass quickly, with milder weather on Friday and Saturday.

A spokesman for Bromley Council said: "We are expecting snow from 9am tomorrow.

"From 11pm tonight our crews will be out gritting all the major roads that we do.

"We are also going to do the side streets where there is more of a risk - such as where there is a bit of a hill and there has been an issue in the past.

"We also have our street cleaning crews out doing the pedestrian areas such as town centres."

He added: "We are expecting as much as 3cm of snow. But there is still the possibility it could be sleet.

"It will be a quick snap and by the weekend it will be gone."

The Highways Agency has advised drivers to check the weather forecast and road conditions before they travel overnight on Wednesday and during Thursday.

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