Bitterly cold days and nights ahead

Weather update from Met Éireann

The next couple of days and nights are set to be very cold with temperatures plunging to minus eight tonight and tomorrow night with temperatures will struggling to get above freezing during the day.

Motorists and homeowners are being urged to take heed of a 'Status Yellow - Low Temperature/Ice warning' for all of Ireland. It will remain in place until midnight on Thursday, January 9.

Met Éireann is warning of very cold nights with widespread frost, ice and lying snow.

Potential impacts include hazardous travelling conditions on roads and underfoot and travel disruption.

Despite the cold, today will see some sunny intervals and scattered wintry showers, most frequent in the west and north. Frost and ice along with some lying snow will persist in some areas all day. Highest temperatures of just 0 to 5 degrees in light to moderate northwesterly winds, fresher at times near western and northern coasts.

Extremely cold and largely dry tonight though a few wintry showers will affect parts of the north and west. Lowest temperatures of -8 to -3 degrees generally, locally lower, with a severe frost and icy stretches. Light variable breezes will allow patches of freezing fog to develop.

A bitterly cold morning tomorrow (Wednesday) with widespread frost and ice along with patches of freezing fog, lingering in places through the day. Otherwise, there will be sunny periods and 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 of -1 to +4 degrees with mostly light northerly breezes, more moderate near southern coasts.

Extremely cold again on Wednesday night but mostly dry and clear overnight. However, further wintry showers are expected in the northwest. Lowest temperatures of -8 to -2 degrees generally, locally lower. Freezing fog patches will develop in light northwesterly breezes.

Thursday will see widespread frost and ice in the morning along with some freezing fog, lingering throughout the day for many 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 in light variable breezes.

Dry at first on Thursday night with freezing fog developing. However, cloud will continue to build from the southwest overnight as a band of rain follows over the southwestern half of the country with falls of sleet and snow initially before quickly transitioning to snow. Further north and east it will stay mostly dry. Lowest temperatures of -7 to -2 degrees generally before turning milder from the southwest. Winds will become easterly and increase mostly light to moderate by morning.

Largely cloudy on Friday with outbreaks of rain and sleet with some falls of snow possible on high ground. Highest afternoon temperatures of 1 to 5 degrees generally but milder for southern coastal fringes. Moderate, occasionally fresh, east to southeast winds.

Temperatures increasing through Friday as rain, sleet and snow moves northeastwards over the country. Milder for the weekend.

Further Outlook: Largely dry and settled with just patchy light rain and drizzle, mainly in the north and west. Highest temperatures generally between 6 and 10 degrees.