"And we’re going to get more," she said.

"There are a lot of showers still coming in from the North Sea."

The forecaster added that a large area of sleet and snow showers was also moving out of France and heading to the UK.

She said it would reach Kent by lunchtime and London by 3pm, before moving across East Anglia and northern England this evening.

"It’s winter for a change," she said.

"The last two have been really mild, really wet and really windy.

"We don’t get this very often."

A spokesman for the Highways Agency said: "If your journey is not essential I would strongly advise you don’t make it."

Passengers also struggled to get information on rail journeys online as websites were inundated with inquiries.

Commuters in the south-east faced a miserable journey to work with chaos on the roads and railways.

All London bus services were withdrawn and 10 of the 11 lines on the London Underground were either completely or partly suspended.

A spokesman for Transport for London said: "Heavy snowfall across the London area last night has severely disrupted transport services and further snow is forecast throughout Monday. The advice is to check before you travel, expect disruption and if your journey is necessary then allow more time for your journey.

"The biggest difficulty today is the road conditions which are extremely dangerous and drivers should take extreme care."

He added that bus services had been suspended because of fears for passenger safety.

A number of train services linking London and the south coast were also delayed or cancelled as snow drifted on to the tracks.

Gatwick Airport and London City Airport were both temporarily shut last night as their runways were de-iced.

Many schools in the south east have closed due to the weather.

Tory leader David Cameron cancelled a visit to Haberdashers’ Aske’s Hatcham College, an academy in New Cross, south east London, where he was due to highlight a package of proposals aimed at improving numeracy, including a maths task force headed by former Countdown host Carol Vorderman.

A spokeswoman for Westminster Council said some of its schools are closed today and the weather has forced the closure of more than 50 schools in Kent.

Danny Chalkley, Westminster Council’s cabinet member for the street environment and transport called the conditions "extraordinary".

Primary and secondary schools in towns including Gillingham, Rochester and Maidstone have been hit by the weather.

More than 50 schools in Birmingham and the Black Country were forced to close this morning due to the snow.

West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust warned drivers to be careful on the roads.

A service spokeswoman said: "Winter is always a busy time for the trust and many of the patients we see are absolutely genuine and need our care.

"Unfortunately with icy conditions and snow showers set to continue, the trust is expecting an increase in 999 calls due to falls, slips and road traffic collisions."

Three teenagers were rushed to hospital last night after their car collided with another on a patch of ice in Shropshire.

A 15-year-old girl had to be freed from the vehicle by firefighters following the crash on Victoria Road in Shifnal just before 9pm.

The girl, along with two boys, aged 17 and 18, were taken to the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford with minor injuries.

North and central areas of Hampshire were worst hit with travel disruption due to at least 8cm of snow.

Some roads were impassable in the morning rush hour and at the same time the M3 northbound was down to one lane.

Winchester, Basingstoke, Farnborough, Aldershot, Yateley and the surrounding areas were worst affected.

Police moved extra 4x4 vehicles to north Hampshire to assist the public.

Staff at Stansted Airport, near Chelmsford, Essex, said the runway had re-opened shortly before 8am after being closed in the early hours.

Three schools in Gloucestershire were closed due to the weather, two in the Cotswolds and one in Cheltenham.

Elsewhere in the county, a stretch of the M5 near Tewkesbury was briefly closed after a car crashed into the central reservation, causing a multi-vehicle pile up.

Emergency services were called just before 7am after a Peugeot 205 lost control and went into a spin on the northbound carriageway.

The county council has a fleet of 32 gritters working from four different depots.