Met Eireann has issued a Status Yellow snow-ice weather warning for 18 counties, with accumulations of up to 3cm expected tonight.
The weather warning was issued for the 12 counties of Leinster as well as Cavan, Monaghan, Leitrim, Tipperary and Waterford; east Cork is also included.
The weather warning was issued this morning (Monday, February 5) at 5:00am; it will be valid from 6:00pm this evening until 4:00am tomorrow morning.
This warning comes hot on the heels of a previous Status Yellow low temperature warning for the whole country, that was issued last night at 8:00pm.
The warning – valid from midnight until 10:00am this morning – warned of lowest temperatures of between -3° and -5° in several parts of the country; with sharp or severe frost and icy patches, leading to hazardous driving conditions.
For Ireland in general, this morning will be mainly dry, cold and frosty with icy patches, Met Eireann has said. Frost and any mist or fog will gradually clear, while a few sunny spells will develop later on today.
Highest temperatures of 3° to 5° are expected for the country in general, though it’ll be marginally warmer along Atlantic coasts in light breezes.
Tonight, as mentioned, sleet and snow will mainly affect the eastern half of the country; though this is expected to clear later in the night.
Wintry showers will develop in the west, however. Frost and ice is also expected to form – leading to hazardous conditions on untreated roads and footpaths. Met Eireann expects lowest temperatures of -2° to 1° tonight.
Tomorrow
Tuesday will be cold and bright with sunny spells and wintry showers predicted – which will be most frequent in the west and north. Drier and brighter weather is forecast in the east and south-east.
It will be cold and frosty tomorrow night, with some showers of sleet or snow. A widespread sharp or severe frost will follow with icy patches, Met Eireann warns, with lowest temperatures of -4° to 1°.