Updated 3.20pm
MOTORISTS HAVE BEEN advised to exercise caution as the clean-up continues post-Storm Emma and the Beast from the East.
There was heavy snowfall in many parts of the country last week, with the east worst affected.
A status orange snow-ice warning for Leinster will remain in place until 10am tomorrow, with Met Éireann saying deep lying snow is still present in some areas as well as a “continuing potential for localised flooding due to the thaw”.
The Road Safety Authority (RSA) has warned all drivers, particularly on motorways and dual carriageways, to “be on guard for slabs of snow and ice falling or sliding off roadside banks into their path”.
It has urged pedestrians to “avoid walking in the streets at all costs if possible”, and for walkers and cyclists to wear high-visibility clothing.
The Defence Forces, Civil Defence and An Garda Síochána are among the organisations helping local authorities and members of the public clear the snow. The Defence Forces have deployed 1,250 personnel and 396 vehicles in recent days.
Roads in certain areas are still impassable. The latest information can be found via local authorities or AA Roadwatch.
Wicklow, Kildare and Wexford
Wicklow, Kildare and Wexford are among the worst affected areas.
Wicklow County Council said it is “deploying additional engineering resources, council crews and a significant amount of extra plant and machinery, in an effort to clear snow from the worst affected areas”.
Local farmers and the army are also helping the clean-up effort.
Due to the scale of the snowfall and the extent of drifting, the council is requesting voluntary assistance from the public with the following:
“People who assist are requested to clear snow safely and to avoid creating any additional hazards,” the council said, thanking members of the public for their “magnificent response”.
Meanwhile, Kildare County Council has requested “the assistance of the farming community and other qualified machinery operators in our attempts to reopen impassable routes”.
Assistance is particularly required in the Rathangan area and throughout north Kildare. Farmers and JCB drivers have been helping clear the snow in several counties in recent days.
Wexford County Council said it is “giving increasing attention to local roads, now that all national and regional roads are in a reasonable state and passable with care”.
The Department of Defence is helping the council clear footpaths, with an emphasis on those outside doctors’ clinics, pharmacies and other HSE locations.
People have been encouraged to clear driveways as soon as possible “as the task will become magnified should freezing occur”, the council said.
Water outages
There are currently about 10,500 people without water across the country and a further 121,000 have a restricted supply due to low levels in reservoirs.
Water supply will be restricted in the greater Dublin area between 7pm and 7am for the foreseeable future, it was announced earlier.
Water outages persist in several locations across Wexford county (some 5,200 premises are affected) and repair crews are working to restore supply as soon as possible.
A significant burst at Edenvale Water Intake is badly affecting supply to Wexford town and surrounding areas.
“The location was extremely difficult to access but crews have now made their way to the site and have commenced excavation to repair the break,” the council said, adding that supply should be restored by lunchtime tomorrow at the latest.
With the assistance of Irish Water, water tankers have been deployed in a number of locations in Wexford town and other areas. You can check where the tankers are based on this map.
Here’s the latest information from AA Roadwatch:
Advice to avoid the N7 at Naas (junctions 8-10 northbound) during peak travel times has been lifted, but drivers have been asked to observe a 60k/m speed limit.
“Snow and ice remain an issue in some areas and road users are advised to stick to the main routes. Secondary routes and hills are still impassable in many places,” the AA Roadwatch said.
Motorists have been advised to use their fog lights as needed, but to be sure to switch them off afterwards.
Public transport
Most bus, train and Luas services are back in operation today.
Many services were cancelled during the height of the storm last week, and operated with restrictions in the last couple of days.
Some changes and delays are still expected, and customers have been advised to allow extra time for their journeys.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
have your say