Met Éireann issues weather warning as arctic airflow topples temperatures to -5

A nationwide Status Yellow ice warning is in place until midday today.

"Icy stretches are likely on Sunday night and Monday morning. Hazardous travelling conditions are expected, especially on untreated roads and footpaths. Some patches of freezing fog are also possible,” Met Éireann said.

Meanwhile, the weather service’s cold weather advisory is active until Thursday morning due to an artic airflow.

Forecasters have warned of “severe frosts and icy stretches on roads and footpaths”, as well as “showers of hail, sleet and snow” and “freezing fog”.

Met Éireann said today will be mainly dry with sunny spells, but sharp frost, patches of mist or fog and icy stretches may linger in places. Showers in west Munster will mainly become confined to the southwest coast by midday. There will be scattered showers in north Ulster, with some of the showers becoming wintry.

Tonight will be very cold with a widespread severe frost, patches of mist and fog and icy stretches.

Most areas will be dry, however, outbreaks of sleet or snow may develop in parts of Kerry and Cork and there will be some wintry showers in Ulster and north Connacht. Lowest temperatures will drop to between -1C and -5C.

Forecasters said Tuesday will be very cold with frost and ice lingering in many areas. There will be sunny spells and scattered wintry showers, most frequent in Connacht and Ulster. Some showers will fall as snow, especially in the evening. Eastern and southern counties will be mainly dry. Highest temperatures of 1C to 4C are expected.

Tuesday night will be cold with showers of sleet and snow. A sharp to severe frost will develop with icy stretches and some freezing fog patches too. Lowest temperatures will drop to between -4C and 0C.

Met Éireann said Wednesday will see sunny spells, scattered wintry showers and highest temperatures of 3C to 6C.

Wednesday night will be very cold with a widespread severe frost, icy stretches and lowest temperatures of -5C to -2C.

Forecasters said it will be very cold on Thursday with frost and ice lingering in some areas for much of the day. Cloudier conditions will develop in the west and southwest with outbreaks of rain and sleet developing at times. Highest afternoon temperatures will reach 1C to 6C, coldest in Ulster.

On Thursday night, rain will spread eastwards across the country, falling as sleet or snow in places for a time. Temperatures will fall below zero in Ulster early in the night, but will gradually increase overnight.

“Friday will be a much milder and mostly cloudy day with outbreaks of rain and drizzle. Highest temperatures of 7C to 10C with moderate west to southwest breezes,” Met Éireann said.

“The outlook for next weekend is for mild, mostly cloudy and unsettled weather with spells of rain at times. Day time temperatures will range from about 9C to 12C with moderate to fresh southwest winds. The nights will be frost-free.”