LAST UPDATE | 18 Jan 2023

A STATUS YELLOW ice warning is currently in place for the whole country this evening, Met Éireann has said.

The national forecaster has said there will be icy stretches on roads and footpaths, leading to hazardous travelling conditions.

The warning is expected to stay in place until noon tomorrow. 

There will be sunny spells and scattered showers of rain, sleet and snow throughout the day, which will be heaviest and most frequent in the north and west.

There is also the possibility of isolated hail and thunder.

Highest temperatures will be 2 to 6 degrees.

Scattered sleet, snow showers and icy stretches are forecasted for most of the country as temperatures are to fall to -4 degrees in some places tonight.

Those in the west and northwest are predicted to bear the brunt of the cold snap, the forecaster predicted.

⚠️Status Yellow - Ice warning for Ireland⚠️
Met Éireann Weather Warning

Icy stretches leading to hazardous travelling conditions.

Wintry showers continuing. Freezing rain possible in the southwest. Freezing fog patches.

Valid: 19:00 Wed 18/01/2023 to 12:00 Thursday 19/01/2023 pic.twitter.com/3NSMoPaKKs

— Met Éireann (@MetEireann) January 18, 2023

The UK’s Met Office has also issued a separate Status Yellow snow/ice warning for Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Tyrone, Derry, which is in place until midday.

Yesterday’s icy temperatures saw schools close in Co Donegal. Bus Éireann are advising that passengers check for updates on their website before setting out on any journeys. 

Several bus routes in Cork and Dublin have already been cancelled this morning.

Snowed in today. A real winter wonderland landscape for a lunchtime dander to the shop. #snow #derry pic.twitter.com/b8H0PGKiK1

— Emma Ryan (@EmmaRyan05) January 17, 2023

Motorists have also been warned that conditions on roads across the country may be hazardous this morning, and have been urged to take precautions when driving.

Met Éireann says that this morning will be cold with widespread frost, ice, and snow in some places. There will be sunny spells and scattered showers of rain as well. 

Sleet and snow showers will be heaviest and most frequent in the north and the west. Isolated hail and thunder is also possible. 

By evening, however, the showers will be isolated and mostly in Ulster. 

Temperatures will reach their peak at 2 to 6 degrees, while sub-zero temperatures will set in this evening. 

Tonight is to be very cold with frost and icy stretches developing in many areas, causing hazardous conditions. Lowest temperatures will range between -4 and -1 degrees, while it is expected to be colder locally in Ulster and the north midlands. Patches of freezing fog are also expected to develop tonight. 

Scattered rain showers are expected overnight and they will continue into Thursday, as outbreaks of rain and sleet are expected in the west and south of the country, while isolated wintry showers will also occur elsewhere. 

Thursday night is to be very cold once again, with temperatures plummeting as low as -4 degrees. 

The current cold spell is to last until Saturday, when it is to become much milder, with temperatures rising to between 7 and 11 degrees during the day, and staying around the 7 degree mark overnight.