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A STATUS ORANGE snow-ice warning has been issued for seven counties in the east of Ireland, as the country gears up for an “exceptionally cold” week.
The wintry chill from Siberia has already began sweeping across Europe, with Ireland set to get hit with snow showers on what is to be a very cold Monday, according to Met Éireann.
The snow-ice warning has been issued for Dublin, Carlow, Kildare, Laois, Louth, Wicklow and Meath.
The warning will be valid from 3pm tomorrow until 11am on Wednesday.
Met Éireann has warned that scattered snow showers later tomorrow evening will lead to accumulations of between 4cm to 6cm by Wednesday morning.
The government’s National Emergency Coordination Group for Severe Weather is meeting today to make preparations for the coming days.
A weather advisory warning issued yesterday said that air and ground temperatures will be five to 10 degrees below normal, with “significant wind chill and penetrating severe frosts”.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Met Éireann’s Evelyn Cusack said it’ll be close to “blizzard conditions” at stages throughout the week.
She added that it is possible that a red nationwide warning could be issued this week, which would be the first time since last year’s Storm Ophelia.
The forecast for today predicts “very cold” temperatures and “generally dry, but some snow flurries are likely later today in eastern coastal counties”.
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Temperatures will plunge overnight, ranging from -2 to -5 degrees.
Snow showers are set to become fairly frequent across Leinster, east Ulster and southeast Munster tomorrow night.
Baby it's cold outside but you ain't seen nothing yet!
The 'Beast from the East' will arrive tomorrow moving across the #UK & #Ireland
Likely to be a historic & memorable cold spell!
Keep an eye on elderly or vulnerable friends & neighbours
Wednesday looks set to be the day the “Beast from the East” bites hardest, with daytime temperatures only ranging from -1 to 2 degrees.
Again the snow will be heaviest in the east of the country with frost and ice nationwide, before plunging to -7 degrees overnight into Thursday.
To prepare for the freezing conditions, the government’s severe weather task force will meet at 10.30am this morning.
Homelessness
The Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government advises that this “weather event is likely to have a significant and disruptive impact”.
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It advises the public to be aware of Met Éireann’s yellow, orange and red warnings, and to take appropriate action.
Irish Water has mobilised its crisis management arrangements to deal with the expected weather, as severe weather can result in big demand increases on its network with additional pipe bursts and additional water use.
Minister Eoghan Murphy, meanwhile, has said that extra beds will be made available to rough sleepers in Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford during this week. He said that rough sleepers require additional supports and the government is “working hard to implement solutions”.
Also speaking on Morning Ireland, the Dublin Region Homeless Executive (DRHE) director Eileen Gleeson urged anyone who sees a rough sleeper in the capital to report it using its online facility so that they can respond.
Gleeson said that it is possible that people sleeping on the streets may not be aware of the weather that is being forecast.
She said: “That is our biggest challenge. They may not be aware of what’s coming. It’s also vital that anyone who sees someone homeless out there report it so we can respond.”
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Inner City Helping Homeless will be issuing thermal clothing from its office on Amien Street today, after receiving the donation of clothing from Marks and Spencer.
Pat Doyle, CEO of Peter McVerry Trust, said the charity has been working with the DRHE and local authorities “to coordinate our response” and “will be putting in place a series of exceptional measures this week in order to get as many people out of the extreme cold weather which represents a clear threat to life for people who sleep rough”.
Older people
Alone, the charity that supports older people to age at home, has encouraged members of the public to look out for older people in the community who may live alone.
Seán Moynihan, CEO of Alone, said: “Cold temperatures can have a serious effect on many older people, in particular those living alone, those with health issues, and those with limited mobility.”
Moynihan encouraged older people to prioritise their spending on heating during the cold weather, noting that half of so-called ‘excess winter deaths’ experienced in Ireland can be linked to heating issues.
He said that, based on 2013 figures, one in 10 people aged over 65 who lived alone were unable to keep their homes adequately warm.
We are calling on all members of the public to remember their older neighbours living alone, and to consider their needs.
“We’re advising older people to stay warm in the cold weather by ensuring they have adequate home heating, wearing layers of light but warm clothing, eating at least one hot meal a day and staying indoors where possible,” Moynihan said.
Workers
Employers are being advised to remain vigilant this week in relation to the weather conditions over the next few days.
The Irish SME Association has noted that unlike Storm Ophelia, employers now have the opportunity to prepare for this weather event.
The association is advising employers to take time to put measures in place to reduce the potential business impact the weather could have.
It said employers should have up-to-date contact information for all employees within the organisation in case a last-minute decision needs to be communicated to staff members. It also said a plan should be put in place regarding how to communicate to customers and clients about the potential impact closing the business could have.
“Flexibility should be allowed for employees, especially those who have some distance to travel. Where employees are present in the workplace, care should be taken to remain vigilant for any worsening conditions and cancelled/amended travel services throughout the day,” a statement from the association said.
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Remember you can’t just blame the government if the old people in your area don’t make it through the next few days if you haven’t taken 5 minutes away from the Internet to check on them yourself.
@Damocles:
“Older people prioritise on heating”?
That statement says it all. The FFG government agency admitting that old age pensioners are suffering financially. Should pensions be raised to the same level as a TDs?
Everyone here would do well to Chill the F out. Under every article on the Journal is people complaining about everything. You’re all basically renowned for it. For a bunch of people who do a ton of complaining about the ‘Snowflake generation’, y’all seem to do a truck load of needless belly aching of your own. Its an article warning of snow, the Irish authorities have yet to kick your puppy.
So if I skid on black ice and crash, the council will pay my damages as they were warned in advance. They didn’t bother to salt or grit the roads therefore they are responsible. Interesting one, that.
Interesting to me that the Minister is making provisions for ‘rough sleepers’. Has the word homeless been struck from the dictionary or does it now refer exclusively to people on housing lists living in hotels?
@Phil O’ Meara: Some homeless people do have an indoor place to sleep, they just don’t have a home, so rough sleepers would be a more apt description of who would need to be brought indoors during this period.
Older people warned to ‘prioritise their spending on heating’ as temperatures are set to plunge, Extra costs they paying towards bank bail out, property tax, water refund, carbon tax etc…
When it comes to the choice for many of heat versus food it’s a tough one. Many older people will freeze rather than starve. Pride can be lethal so do what you can.
Spaceweather.com is the best place to go for some real science on climate.
If sun continues this low level of activity througout 2018 next winter 2018/2019 will be wicked.
Sunspot number: 0
What is the sunspot number?
Updated 25 Feb 2018
Spotless Days
Current Stretch: 8 days
2018 total: 26 days (47%)
2017 total: 104 days (28%)
2016 total: 32 days (9%)
2015 total: 0 days (0%)
2014 total: 1 day (<1%)
2013 total: 0 days (0%)
2012 total: 0 days (0%)
2011 total: 2 days (<1%)
2010 total: 51 days (14%)
2009 total: 260 days (71%)
Updated 25 Feb 2018
@Mark Fitzmaurice: Truth is Mark the sun could turn around tomorrow as past results dont guarantee future activity but if this current level continues through the spring and summer we should give people the chance to prepare.
@Joe Caulfield: This current level ? The sun isn’t even at minimum yet and likely won’t be for another 3 years. Last sunspot was 9 days ago, During solar minimum the sun can be spotless for months at a time. As for it being related to cold weather, that is highly debatable. During the maunder minimum the northern hemisphere went through a period of cold winters, but still had some heatwaves in summer. Temperatures in the southern hemisphere went largely unchanged, even though they were under the same sun. Why ? The Atlantic ocean seems to be the culprit with a phenomenon called the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation.
Irish homes are poorly insulated unlike on the continent so many people will have high heating bills. As always the poorest will be hit hardest by the cold.
Man up FFS it’s only a bit of cold, snowflakes not only offended by everything but now sensationalist bulls*it about a bit of cold and frost like we’ve never had this before right!!
@Jonny: the media why hyping weather for decades now. This is not new. The only snowflakes are the ones that get offended so much from seeing a news article about weather they feel they have to come on and cry about it.
I recall being a kid in the 80s. Every winter we would have at least 1 foot of snow. That was in the up. Ireland though all we got was s dusting. No real snowfall at all.
I recall my daughter opening up the car window and me going mad at her because it was -7 outside. That was around 8-10 years ago. She never felt the cold… Not until recently.
We regularly get blasts from the East at this time of year. And about once every 10 years we get a REALLY cold blast. The only difference is that now we need a Weather Warning, we need to give it a name and people panic. 20, 30 years ago people just said ‘Jeez, it’s bloody cold!’ and struggled to work anyway!
Relax people this is no big deal. I remember when I was a kid we’d have ten foot of snow every year. We’d all pool our pocket money and go down to the piggly wiggly to buy hamburger meat and then we’d go hunting for a dead body or one eyed Willy……. No wait, that was the movies. Forget I said anything.
National Emergency Co-ordination Group photo? Looks like a bunch of ‘good old boys’ there for the lunch and free bar, maybe a hotel night too … and the one woman there just to take notes?
Thermal clothing is available at our office..if you see a homeless person point them in our direction…its out on the streets handing them to the homeless they should be. Some homeless wouldn’t know where the marks n spenser depo even is.
@Kevin Moylan: their water pipes are 1meter underground and triple glazing and very well insulated homes. also vehicles as standard have snow tyres – huge difference
Judging by the queues in shops for snow sleds and shovels and such, if kids aren’t making snowmen in Dublin and surrounding areas this Wed, Thurs, or Friday, no-one will ever listen to Met Eireann again :)
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