WARNINGS have gone out to East Lancashire residents as the region prepares for the coldest night of the year so far.

Public Health England urged people to take extra care as a Level three Cold Weather Alert was issued for all regions of England.

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And while the Met Office said that no official weather warnings have been issued, people should be aware of the possibility of black ice on roads and snow in high places.

In north-west England, the snowy weather will mainly affect the Pennines and Cumbria.

And motoring organisation RAC warned drivers to 'take every precaution when setting out on any journey'.

A Met Office spokeswoman said that a yellow warning has been issued for today (Friday) with the chance of sleet showers and limited sunshine.

Today's (Friday) temperature will be around 3C dropping to -2C at night with the possibility of ice.

Saturday and Sunday will be bright and sunny but cold at 2C maximum during the day dropping to -4C from Saturday night going into Sunday morning, the coldest night of the year so far.

The spokeswoman added: "There are no warnings but a possibility of ice on the roads."

RAC spokesman Simon Williams said: “In bad weather motorists can very easily find themselves stranded because of the sudden changes so it is vital they take every precaution when setting out on any journey.

"Checking the local weather regularly and making sure you have the right kit in the car – warm, waterproof coat, blankets, boots, a shovel and a fully charged mobile phone is essential.

“Some breakdowns are avoidable through maintenance and preparation."

A spokesman for Lancashire County Council said: "We expect to be gritting all the main routes across the county today (Friday) and over the weekend according to the forecast of freezing temperatures."

Vicky Shepherd, chief executive of Age UK Blackburn with Darwen, said it was very important for the elderly to keep warm.

She said: "It's important for everyone to keep warm during the cold weather particularly for old people and particularly if they can't get out and about and not mobile."

In addition to switching on the heating, elderly people can protect themselves by having hot food and drinks and wearing extra layers of clothing she added.