IRELAND has been warned to “prepare for heavy snow” as Met Eireann’s Status Orange weather warnings came into effect for 11 counties this evening.
A Status Yellow snow and ice warning is also now in place for 14 counties as the public are urged to take extra care this weekend following warnings of a “multi-hazard weather event” due to hit Ireland today.
Weather warnings are currently in effect for 26 counties[/caption]
A series of weather warnings have come into effect, with status orange snow and ice warnings issued for Carlow, Kilkenny, Laois, Offaly, Wicklow, Clare, Limerick and Tipperary.
It came in to effect at 5pm this evening and will remain in place until the same time tomorrow.
A separate 24-hour rain and snow warning kicked in for Cork, Kerry and Waterford at 5pm this evening.
These counties are also under a status yellow rain warning, which ran from 1pm yesterday, with Met Eireann warning of possible flooding in the area.
A Status Yellow warning for snow and ice is in place for Cavan, Donegal, Monaghan, Dublin, Kildare, Longford, Louth, Meath, Westmeath and Connacht until 5pm tomorrow.
And a Status Yellow rain and snow warning is in effect for Wexford until 5pm tomorrow.
A Status Yellow snow and ice Warning for Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Tyrone and Derry will kick in at 9pm this evening and will remain in place until 6pm tomorrow.
It comes as the Government’s national emergency co-ordination group met today to prepare for the severe weather forecast across the country.
Taoiseach Simon Harris was also briefed by the emergency director about their plans.
Snow, ice, heavy rain and sleet are to sweep over the island of Ireland with temperatures expected to plummet to a low of -5 degrees.
Emergency director Keith Leonard spoke to the Taoiseach and Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien about the ongoing preparations.
Those attending the meeting included the Department of Housing, Met Eireann and a range of other stakeholders including from the education and transport sectors.
Mr Leonard warned of difficult travel conditions across the country in the coming days.
He said: “Driving conditions will be hazardous, even where roads are gritted – so I urge people to slow down, drive with caution, be aware of other road users and allow extra time for your journey.
“Public transport may also be affected by this spell of wintry weather, so I’d advise people to check with service operators for the latest updates in their area.”
EVENTS CANCELLED
Snow was already beginning to fall in parts of the country tonight, including in Cork and Kerry.
A spokesman for Dublin Airport said its snow and ice teams are on stand-by to treat surfaces as required and to respond to any issues that arise.
They added: “As always, passengers seeking updates regarding specific flights should contact their airline directly.”
A number of sports events have been cancelled or postponed across the country, including the All-Ireland senior club championship, which was due to be held in Portlaoise.
Some greyhound races have been cancelled following inspections due to the current weather conditions.
SCHOOLS COULD BE CLOSED
Met Eireann has warned that the cold snap will create difficult travelling conditions and poor visibility.
Forecasters have said that depending on snow accumulations on Monday, schools could remain closed as the sub-zero temperatures stretch into next week.
Coastal areas will likely see rain, but inland and over higher ground, sleet and snow is more likely.
Taoiseach Harris has urged the public to “proceed with caution” as the country faces severe weather challenges.
In a post on his Instagram account, Mr Harris said: “First thing to say is, you are going to see quite a lot of snow and sleet in many parts of Ireland from around 5pm this evening until around 7pm tomorrow evening.
“Please proceed with extreme caution, because we are expecting very, very dangerous travelling conditions over the course of the next number of hours and potentially the next number of days.
“We have activated the cold weather emergency plan for rough sleepers and also for those in international protection. I want to thank all of the agencies and the homeless organisations and others that are working closely with us in relation to that, trying to keep vulnerable people safe and well at this difficult time.
“The energy sector has said that our energy supplies are good. So that is a good news. Both the ESB and Gas Networks Ireland confirming that as well.”
COLDEST TEMPS EVER RECORDED IN IRELAND
AS freezing conditions and low temperatures hit Ireland, the country is set to bask in ice, snow and sleet.
With temperatures setting into minus figures, it won’t beat the coldest days ever recorded on the island.
The coldest areas in Ireland are usually found inland, with coastal areas benefiting from sea breezes to keep warmer.
Mullingar, Co Westmeath has the lowest average temperature at 9.3C yearly, but it is not the coldest ever recorded area.
Here are the areas in the country that have recorded the lowest ever temperatures:
- Co Sligo: On January 16, 1881, –19.1C was recorded at Markree Castle in Collooney.
- Co Kildare: On January 2, 1979, -18.8C was recorded in Lullymore.
- Co Longford: On February 7, 1895, -17.8C was recorded in Mostrim while the area also saw the coldest July temperature ever at -0.3C on July 8, 1889.
- Co Sligo: Again at Markree Castle, -17.2C was recorded on March 3, 1947, -8.3C on October 31, 1926 and -7.7C on April 15, 1892.
- Co Donegal: The coldest ever temperature in May on record was detected in Glenties at -5.6C.
- Co Offaly: On June 1, 1962, Clonsast saw temperatures drop to -3.3C.
- Co Wicklow: The coldest ever day in August was in Rathdrum with temperatures dropping to -2.7C on August 30, 1964.
- Co Wexford: On November 29, 2010, Clonroche saw temperatures drop to -11.5C.
- Co Mayo: Also in 2010, temperatures in Straide dropped to -17.5C on Christmas Day.
Harris said the emergency team will continue to meet every day throughout this event and will continue to monitor the situation in relation to school closures.
He said: “It is likely that this weather event will affect different areas in very different ways, and therefore we’ll have to look at the situation at a local level.
“We’ll have to continue to monitor that and provide updates and guidance in the hours and the days ahead.
“But I do want you to know that everything that can be done is being done to keep people safe, to protect people’s well being.”
‘BE PREPARED FOR HEAVY SNOW’
The National Director of the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management warned people across the country to prepare for heavy snow and said the “key message” is to be safe on the roads if you must travel.
Keith Leonard said: “You need to think very carefully about your destination and plan your route and be aware that the traveling conditions will be very hazardous.”
He explained that, although the most difficult conditions are expected in the southern half of the country, there could be significant snowfalls anywhere and conditions may be difficult even where roads are gritted.
He said: “There’s a line across from Clare to Wicklow at the moment and everywhere below that seems to be likely to get heavy snowfall, but people across the country really need to be prepared for that heavy snowfall that could happen at any location across the country, and conditions will vary considerably from location to location.”
“It’s difficult to treat the roads when the snow is actually falling, so there’s going to be delays to journey across the road network over the next 24 to 48 hours.”
Deputy Head of Forecasting at Met Eireann Liz Coleman said: “A lot of people will be returning home from the festive holidays this weekend.
“We want people to take heed of the warnings and plan in advance as there will be some really tricky driving conditions out there for a near 24 hour period.
“This rain sleet and snow will be coupled with blustery east to northeast winds which could lead to some drifting snow for as time as well.”
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