A status yellow snow and ice warning is in place for Leinster, Munster and Connacht as the country braces itself for extreme weather in the coming days.
There is also a yellow wind warning in effect as it was recommended by a severe weather coordination group.
The warnings are in effect for 24 hours from 8am this morning.
Met Éirean has warned that five centimetres of snow could fall in some places but will turn to sleet or rain later in the day.
“A band of sleet and snow spreading northeast wards during Thursday giving snow accumulations of up to 5cm in some areas (higher over the mountains), but transitioning to rain in the west and south on Thursday night.”
The forecaster has also warned of “strong to gale force southeast winds” which combined with the snow and sleet will make for poor visibility.
It is expected that there will be lingering snow and sleet in Leinster on Friday morning, however, a band of rain will move across the western half of the country later that day.
All coastal areas can expect “fresh and gusty southeasterly winds” with Munster seeing temperatures between four and eight degrees while the rest of the country will be colder, experiencing temperatures between one and four degrees.
The weekend will be a wet and windy one according to Met Éireann with the rainfall predicted to be heaviest southern coastal counties which will bring a risk of flooding in some areas.
Gardaí have warned people making essential journeys to expect icy conditions and to prepare adequately.
Expect icy road conditions this morning particularly on minor routes. Status Yellow warnings are in place – https://t.co/mxwgbBxcJI Allow extra time for essential travel, clear windscreen before taking to the road, drive at reduce speed & maintain safe driving distance. #StaySafe pic.twitter.com/lYi7G1Zgdk
— An Garda Síochána (@GardaTraffic) February 11, 2021
The weather recently has been extremely cold and significant levels of snow have hit various parts of the country, thankfully, the weather hasn’t been as bad the Beast from the East from 2018.
For the latest updates on the weather, check out Met Éireann’s website here.
