Met Eireann has warned of plunging temperatures over the coming days as the Irish forecaster publishes a nationwide ice warning.
The alert is in place until 12:00 pm on Monday, January 16, because “Hazardous travelling conditions are expected, especially on untreated roads and footpaths. Some patches of freezing fog are also possible”.
The full effects of that ice warning will be felt this morning as bitterly cold conditions are expected ”with a sharp frost, patches of mist or fog and icy stretches”.
READ MORE: Met Eireann 18-hour warning issued as subzero freeze could bring rare weather event
These will clear slowly and may linger in places and it will be mainly dry with sunny spells.
Showers in west Munster will mainly become confined to the southwest coast by noon but there will be some continued showers in north Ulster - some wintry.
Tonight will be very cold with a widespread severe frost, patches of mist and fog, and icy stretches, and most areas will be dry. However, outbreaks of sleet or snow may develop in parts of Kerry and Cork and there will be some wintry showers in Ulster and north Connacht with lowest temperatures of -1 to -5 degrees.
Tuesday will be very cold with frost and ice lingering n many areas, but there will be some sunny spells and scattered wintry showers, these most frequent in Connacht and Ulster.
Some snow is expected to fall at this point of the week, especially in the evening. Eastern and southern counties will be mainly dry.
Tuesday night will be cold with showers of sleet and snow with a sharp to severe frost with icy stretches and some freezing fog patches too. Lowest temperatures will drop to between -4 and 0 degrees across the country.
Wednesday will feature sunny spells with scattered wintry showers, mainly in the west and north.
Wednesday night will be very cold with a widespread severe frost and icy stretches, Lowest temperatures of -5 to -2 degrees.
Thursday will continue to be very cold with frost and ice lingering in some areas for much of the day.
Cloudier conditions will develop in the west and southwest with outbreaks of rain and sleet developing at times. Highest afternoon temperatures of 1 to 6 degrees are expected, but it will be the coldest in Ulster.
On Thursday night, the rain will spread eastwards across Ireland, falling as sleet or snow in places for a time. Temperatures will fall below zero in Ulster early in the night, but will gradually increase overnight.
Friday will be a much milder and mostly cloudy day with outbreaks of rain and drizzle. Highest temperatures of 7 to 10 degrees with moderate west to southwest breezes.
The outlook for next weekend is for mild, mostly cloudy, and unsettled weather with spells of rain at times. Daytime temperatures will range from about 9 to 12 degrees with moderate to fresh southwest winds. The nights will be frost-free.
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