Weather warnings issued as cold snap bites

Weather update from Met Éireann

Motorists are being warned about difficult travelling conditions this morning as Cavan and Monaghan remain under a Status Yellow Snow and Ice Warning until 8am.

Leitrim, Donegal and Sligo are also covered by the weather warning with Met Éireann warning of possible snow accumulations overnight.

A Status Yellow Low Temperature/Ice warning, meanwhile, is set to take effect for all of Ireland from 8pm today (Tuesday) until 10am tomorrow morning (Wednesday).

The national weather forecaster has said it will be "very cold with widespread frost and icy stretches".

The weather forecast for this morning is very cold conditions with outbreaks of rain gradually moving south. This will turn to sleet and possibly snow over higher ground.

Sunny and dry spells will develop from the north during this afternoon with highest temperatures of 3 to 6 degrees in a chilly northerly breeze.

Mostly dry tonight with clear spells. A few showers will drift in across northern areas turning wintry at times too. A very cold northerly breeze will persist with lowest temperatures of 1 to -3 degrees. Frost and icy patches will develop overnight.

Frost and ice will be slow to thaw tomorrow (Wednesday), perhaps lingering all day in sheltered spots. A mix of sunshine and showers again, some of them wintry. The showers will again be largely confined to the north and west but a few may spread elsewhere. Highs of 3 to 5 degrees with light northwest winds, freshening at times and feeling quite cold too.

Dry and clear in many parts overnight on Wednesday but scattered showers will continue in parts of the west and north. Lowest temperatures of -3 to +1 degrees with frost and icy patches in mainly light to moderate northwest or variable breezes.

Many areas will be dry and cold on Thursday with spells of sunshine but again there will be some rain, sleet and possible snow affecting western and northern parts. Highs of 3 to 5 degrees with northwest winds, fresh at times near the coasts.

Dry for most counties overnight on Thursday but a few wintry showers will continue to feed in across northern areas. Lowest temperatures of 1 to -3 degrees in moderate northwesterly breezes. Frost and icy patches will develop overnight.

Friday is expected quite cloudy overall with a few showers for western areas. Highest temperatures of 3 to 6 degrees in a freshening southwesterly breeze.

Current indications for the weekend are for very unsettled conditions with rain, possibly heavy at times with strong winds too. Becoming much milder though with temperatures heading back into the double figures.