Farmers are continuing to help those who have been left isolated by heavy snow in rural parts of the country during the ongoing cold snap.
Met Éireann has said that there will be more widespread severe frost, ice and patches of freezing fog over the coming days and nights.
Another Status Orange warning for low temperatures and ice in Leinster, Cavan, Monaghan, Munster, Connacht will come into force from 6:00p.m today (Wednesday, January 8) until 11:00a.m tomorrow.
While a Status Yellow low temperature/ice warning for Ireland will be in place until midday on Friday (January 10).
The cold weather will continue up until Friday, when rain will move up over the country from the south bringing sleet and snow to some areas.
The national forecaster added that there will be gradual warming and thawing of snow through the weekend.
Chair of the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) in Kerry, Jason Fleming was among those working to help people in Brosna, whom he said have been essentially “cut off” by the artic conditions.
Along with helping to clear roads and access houses, Fleming delivered groceries to an 89-year-old man who had been without power and water for five days, similar to many other households in the area.
Fleming has appealed for more resources to be made available to help people in the area.
He also urged people to continue to check in on vulnerable people in their locality as the cold snap persists.
Meanwhile, a pair of gardaí in Co. Limerick came to the assistance of a couple who were unable to leave their home due to heavy snowfall.
Garda John Clifford, who is stationed in Murroe, learned that the Faviers who live up in the Reenavanna Hills needed a prescription collected yesterday (Tuesday, January 7).
As the snow in the area had made the road impassable to most, Garda Clifford contacted his colleague Garda Mike Fitzgerald, who was off duty at the time, to get his tractor.
Once the medication was collected from a pharmacy in the village of Doon, the gardaí took off up the hills in the tractor and dropped off the medication.
Elsewhere, ESB Networks has confirmed that customers who remain without power in the worst impacted areas of counties Limerick and Tipperary have been contacted to avail of facilities in some local hotels.
The customers will be able to use the hotels to refresh, eat a hot meal and recharge phones both today and tomorrow.
ESB Networks reminded customers to only travel to the selected hotels if it is safe to do so.
As of 4:45p.m today, approximately 2,000 homes, farms and businesses in Limerick, Kerry and Cork remained without power.
ESB Networks said that it is likely that approximately 1,000 customers in those affected areas will be without electricity overnight.
Work will resume once again at first light tomorrow to reconnect any remaining customers.
Snow
The National Emergency Co-ordination Group (NECG) met again this morning as temperatures are set to plunge to between -3° and -8°C tonight.
There will be severe frost, ice or black ice and patches of freezing fog. Thursday will also remain bitterly cold with frost, ice and freezing fog lingering throughout the day in many areas.
Keith Leonard, national director of the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management, has continued to emphasise the public safety advice during this prolonged period of cold weather.
“Road and path surfaces will remain challenging throughout the country and I would urge drivers, cyclists and pedestrians to take extra caution if you have to set out on a journey.
“Remember, even where there is no lying snow, icy conditions will prevail and surfaces may look deceptively safe.
“I would like to thanks all those members of the public who have been checking in on vulnerable neighbours during this cold spell.
“If anyone knows a neighbour who is elderly, alone or who has mobility issues, please keep an eye out for them and make sure they are ok,” he said.
Uisce Éireann is warning that weather related bursts on the water network are likely to continue for the coming days as a result of sub-zero temperatures.
The number of people without water today has fallen to approximately 4,500, down from a peak of 40,000 early Monday morning. It is expected that the majority of those will have their water restored later today or tomorrow morning.
Tirlán said that snow and frost is causing challenges for farmers in some parts of its catchment area.
Dairygold told Agriland that its milk advisory and assembly team continues to work with individual farms to ensure the safe collection of milk.