IT’S SET TO be a cold and wintry week ahead with a weather advisory set to kick in at midnight.

Met Éireann has issued a weather advisory for Ireland, warning that it will turn colder tomorrow with conditions becoming increasingly wintry for the rest of the week. 

There will be a risk of frost and icy conditions, with falls of sleet or snow at times. 

The advisory kicks in at midnight tonight and will remain in place until Sunday night. 

A Status Yellow rainfall warning is also in place for Connacht, Longford, Louth, Westmeath, Meath, Cavan, Donegal and Monaghan until 9pm tonight. 

Met Éireann has warned that heavy rainfall will lead to accumulations of 30 to 50mm, with higher accumulations in mountainous areas. This will bring a risk of some river and localised flooding. 

Looking at the general forecast, outbreaks of rain are expected to continue in many areas of the country tonight, turning to sleet or snow at times over Ulster. 

The rain may turn heavy in southern coastal counties before dawn. 

Tomorrow morning, rain will become confined to the east and south where it may be heavy for a time near southeastern coasts. 

The western half of the country will become bright, but scattered wintry showers of rain or sleet are forecast. 

It’s due to remain cloudy in the east as rain lingers in Leinster, again turning to sleet or snow at times in the afternoon. 

Temperatures are forecast to drop as low as -2 degrees tomorrow night. 

Looking ahead to the weekend, temperatures are due to drop to as low as -4 degrees on Friday night.