Very cold day with wintry showers in parts

Weather update from Met Éireann

Patches of freezing fog and icy stretches are causing potentially hazardous driving conditions as two separate status yellow warnings - freezing fog and ice - are in place nationwide.

The warnings remain in place until noon today, as temperatures dipped to minus four degrees overnight.

Very cold early this morning with frost, ice and patches of freezing fog. These will linger in some areas today. Many areas will be mainly dry with some sunny spells. Wintry showers in Ulster and Connacht will move southwards this morning and become isolated. Highest temperatures of only 0 to 4 degrees, with light variable breezes.

Tonight will be mainly dry, but very cold with widespread severe frost and with ice on roads and paths. Patches of freezing fog in many areas also. Overnight, some wintry showers will develop in eastern coastal counties. Lowest temperatures of -5 to 0 degrees with light northerly or variable breezes.

Sunday will be another very cold day with temperatures of just 0 to 3 degrees. Frost and fog may linger in some places all day. It will be mainly dry with some sunshine. However, some further wintry showers will affect eastern coastal counties. Winds will be light northerly or variable.

Sunday night will be dry in most areas. However, wintry showers will affect coastal areas of Leinster early in the night and will also develop in northern and western counties overnight. Patches of freezing fog will develop inland. It will be very cold with a widespread severe frost and Widespread frost and ice. Lowest temperatures of -6 to -1 degrees.

The cold spells will continue through next week with severe frosts, ice and freezing fog at times. a good deal of dry weather, but showers of hail, sleet and snow, mainly in coastal counties. Very hazardous driving conditions.

Monday will continue very cold with temperatures staying below freezing in many areas. Frost, ice and fog will persist through the day. Many areas will be dry with wintry showers mainly affecting coastal counties, especially in the east. Light easterly breezes.

Monday night is expected another very cold night with widespread frost, ice and patches of freezing fog and with lowest temperatures of -6 to -2 degrees. Most areas dry, but some wintry showers in coastal areas.

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday will see very similar conditions as the cold spells continues. Many areas will be dry, but there will be some wintry showers at times, mainly on north and east facing coasts. Daytime temperatures will be close to zero and the nights will be very cold with severe frosts, ice and patches of freezing fog. Winds will be light and variable in direction.

Current indications suggest that the very cold weather will continue next weekend.