WINTER is well and truly upon us with gritters out in East Lancashire for the third time this winter.

Gritters will be out this afternoon on priority routes through Burnley, Hyndburn, Ribble Valley, Rossendale and Pendle.

Blackburn with Darwen council have already sent gritters out twice in the borough and Lancashire County Council sent their fleet out in the south of the county yesterday.

Snow could hit some areas of East Lancashire from Wednesday as the MET office have predicted that wintery weather could arrive on higher grounds.

From Wednesday showers over north-west Scotland will turn wintry as the colder, unsettled conditions are expected to spread to the entire UK on Thursday with frequent showers, areas of heavy rain and snow on higher ground.

There is also the chance of some snow to lower levels in places later in the week though away from hills it is currently uncertain exactly where snow will fall.

In the clear periods between bands of wintry showers, frosts are likely and these could be sharp or even severe in prolonged clear conditions in north-western parts of the UK.

A spokesperson for the Met office said: "A cloudy start on Wednesday with a band of rain, heavy at times pushing southeast. Colder and brighter conditions during the afternoon with heavy showers, wintry over the hills. Maximum temperature 9 °C.

"Heavy showers and outbreaks of wintry precipitation on Thursday. Remaining cold and unsettled during Friday and Saturday with further wintry showers and snow, at times to lower levels."

There are currently no plans for gritters to be out in Blackburn with Darwen today.