HEAVY snowfall has finally, as predicted, hit South Essex.

The snow began to fall at around 8.30am on Sunday after light flurries throughout Friday and Saturday.

The Met Office has warned that Essex and other parts of the South East will see the worst of the weather conditions.

Snow is expected to begin to fall into the night with forecasters predicting as much as five to eight centimetres falling along the Essex coastline, with two to five centimetres in other parts of the county.

Essex County Council gritters have continued to grit the county's main roads throughout Saturday day and evening.

However by 9am on Sunday town centre and residential roads were beginning to become treacherous.

Motorists leaving the A127 at Basildon found themselves instantly hitting snow covered roads.

Despite the A127 carriageway behing heavily gritted snow had begun to gather at the edges of the roadside and are set to become more treacherous as the day continues.

The Basildon exit of the A13 on the London-bound carriageway was closed at around 10.10am after a vehicle struck a lamppost while on Victoria Avenue in Southend another vehicle skidded and struck the central reservation.

Police are continuing to warn motorists to take care on the county's roads, avoiding travel by car where possible.

*As the snow hits email your photographs to echonews@nqe.com.