Ireland weather: extremely cold conditions expected with multiple warnings in place
by Aine Kenny · RSVP LiveGet the latest RSVP Live breaking news on WhatsApp
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We may already be sick of the cold weather and snow, but it's not showing any signs of letting up just yet.
Tonight, it will be extremely cold and largely dry though a few wintry showers will affect parts of the north and west of the country.
Temperatures are set to plummet, with lowest temperatures of -8 to -3 degrees expected generally, but some areas may experience lower. Severe frost and ice or black ice will also develop overnight. Light, variable breezes will allow patches of freezing fog to develop too, so drivers should take care.
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There is a status orange low temperature and ice warning currently in place for Carlow, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Longford, Meath, Offaly, Westmeath, Wicklow, Cavan, Monaghan, all of Munster and Connacht.
This means it will be extremely cold with widespread severe frost, ice and lying snow. This will result in dangerous travelling conditions on roads and walkways, travel disruption and delays, and animal welfare issues.
This status orange warning is valid from 8pm tonight (Tuesday) until 10am on Wednesday.
There is also a yellow snow and ice warning in place for Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Tyrone and Derry, issued by the UK Met Office. They say snow and icy patches will lead to some disruption to travel. This warning is in place from 3pm today (Tuesday) until 12pm on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the entire country has been under a status yellow low temperature and ice warning since Sunday. The very cold conditions are resulting widespread frost, ice and lying snow. Some patches of freezing fog are also forming. This is leading to hazardous travelling conditions on roads and pavements, travel disruption and poor visibility.
This warning will remain in place until 6am on Friday.
Wednesday will be a bitterly cold morning with widespread frost and ice along with patches of freezing fog, lingering in places through the day.
Despite the cool temperatures, there will be sunny periods, but these will be combined with scattered wintry showers, mainly in the north and west.
However, it will be cloudier for a time near southern coasts with the chance of some patchy rain. Highest temperatures will be between -1 to +4 degrees, with mostly light northerly breezes, more moderate near southern coasts.
Wednesday night will be extremely cold, although mostly dry and clear overnight. Further wintry showers are expected in the northwest, however. Lowest temperatures will be between of -8 to -2 degrees generally, but locally they will be lower. Freezing fog patches will develop in light northwesterly breezes.
Thursday will again see widespread frost and ice in the morning along with some freezing fog, which will linger throughout the day despite the sunshine. Well scattered wintry showers will continue in the morning, mainly in the north and west, but becoming more isolated later. Cloud will build in the southwest in the evening. Highest temperatures of -2 to +4 degrees generally.
Thursday night will be dry at first with freezing fog developing. However, cloud will continue to build from the southwest overnight as a band of rain, sleet and snow moves into the southwest and spreads northeastwards over the country. Further north and east it will stay mostly dry.
Lowest temperatures will be between -7 to -2 degrees generally, before turning milder from the southwest. Winds will become easterly and increase mostly light to moderate by morning.
The cold spell is set to begin breaking on Friday. It will be a cloudy day with outbreaks of rain and sleet, with some falls of snow possible on high ground. Highest afternoon temperatures will be between 1 to 5 degrees generally, but milder for southern coastal fringes.
On Friday night the outbreaks of rain will clear northeastwards overnight, becoming largely dry and clear for a time before patchy rain moves in from the west. It will be a milder night with lowest temperatures of 0 to 5 degrees generally. Southerly winds will ease light, allowing fog to develop.
Saturday will see outbreaks of rain mainly in the north through the day, elsewhere it will become drier through the morning with sunny spells developing. Highest temperatures of 4 to 8 degrees generally, and it will be milder in parts of the west and southwest.
Moving further into the weekend and into next week it will be largely dry and settled with just patchy light rain and drizzle, mainly in the north and west. Highest temperatures a predicted to be between 6 and 10 degrees.