Met Éireann has issued a new Status Yellow weather warning for low temperatures and ice as the cold snap continues across the country.

The national forecaster said that it will be very cold this evening (Tuesday, January 16) and on Wednesday morning with severe frost and icy stretches on roads and foot paths.

The warning, which has been issued for the entire country, comes into force at 6:00p.m today and will remain valid until 11:00a.m on Wednesday.

The freezing conditions will make travelling conditions difficult and could potentially impact vulnerable people and cause animal welfare issues.

The UK Met Office has issued a similar warning for Northern Ireland which will be in place from 5:00p.m today until midnight.

Met Éireann has said that the provisional lowest air temperature for today is -7.4°C which was recorded at Thomastown in Co. Kilkenny.

The lowest overnight air temperature of -6.3° recorded at 5:00a.m at Moore Park, Co. Cork.

The lowest air temperature ever recorded for January, -19.1°, was recorded on this day in 1881, at Markree, Co. Sligo.

Met Éireann

Met Éireann said that frost and ice could linger today in parts of the south, there will be rain and drizzle in Ulster, north Connacht and north Leinster, with wintry falls possible.

Conditions will be brighter further south with good sunny spells. Highest daytime temperatures of 3° to 7° in light to moderate southwest to west winds.

There will be some scattered outbreaks of light rain, drizzle, sleet and snow tonight, which will become confined to the west and north later. Another cold night with lowest temperatures of -4° to -1° leading to a sharp to severe frost.

Fog or freezing fog patches may develop in the calm conditions.

The frost, ice and fog will be slow to clear on Wednesday morning and will linger in some parts for the entire day.

It will be a mainly dry day with sunny spells, apart from some falls of sleet and snow in the west and north at times. Highest temperatures of 1° to 4°, but it may not rise above freezing in some parts.