LAST UPDATE | 10 Feb 2021

THE PUBLIC HAS been told to expect disruptions to travel systems with Status Yellow weather warnings in place for most of the country tomorrow. 

A Status Yellow wind warning for Munster, Connacht and Leinster was issued this afternoon by Met Éireann with strong winds expected. It will take effect at 8am tomorrow and last until 8am on Friday. 

The winds, in conjunction with rain, sleet and snow, will lead to poor visibility and hazardous conditions, the forecaster said. 

A Status Yellow snow/ice warning is also in place for the same provinces from 8am tomorrow until 8am on Friday.

A statement from the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management on Severe Weather said the forecast shows wintry conditions and snow accumulations of up to 5cm in the north and east of the country. 

The directorate also warned of travel disruptions due to the snow. 

A band of sleet and snow spreading northeastwards tomorrow will result in accumulations of up to 5cm in some areas, but will transition to rain in the west and south tomorrow night.

Tonight will be very cold with widespread frost and icy stretches. It will be mostly dry with clear spells, though there will be isolated showers of sleet or snow at times.

Rain, sleet and snow will develop in the southwest overnight and temperatures will drop to as low as minus four degrees.

Sleet and snow in the southwest tomorrow morning will gradually extend northeastwards across Munster, Connacht and south Leinster through the day, with snow accumulations leading to hazardous conditions.

It will be windy and very cold with highest temperatures of one to three degrees, with an added wind chill factor. Winds will be strongest in the west and southwest.

Temperatures will drop to as low as minus two tomorrow night.

Warning

The Peter McVerry Trust said it has initiated its extreme weather response in Dublin and across, Kildare, Meath and Wicklow.

The charity is targeting people sleeping rough and is hoping to encourage as many people as possible to avail of extreme weather beds to avoid exposure to very low temperatures and snow across the east of the country. 

The charity said it has put in place a multi-stage plan that can deliver up to 126 additional bed spaces to protect rough sleepers.

Pat Doyle, CEO of Peter McVerry Trust said “We activated our extreme weather response at the weekend, ahead of the colder than normal weather which is expected to continue for the coming days. We have been working with Dublin Region Homeless Executive as well as the Mid-East local authorities of Kildare, Meath and Wicklow.”

The Road Safety Authority (RSA), meanwhile, is advising all road users to take extra care when using the roads for the remainder of the week.

Road users are being advised to check local traffic and weather conditions before setting out on any essential journeys. The RSA has the following advice for road users to cope with snow conditions:

• Remove all snow from your vehicle before commencing your journey. Snow left on the roof will become loose and can drop onto the windscreen during braking, thereby causing sudden and severe restriction to your vision. It can also fall off during your drive and cause injury to pedestrians or a reflex action by another driver.
• Clear windows and mirrors before you set out, use a screen scraper and de-icer. Do not use hot water on the windscreen as it can crack the glass.
• In snow and icy conditions slow down, use all controls delicately and leave extra distance between you and the vehicle in front. Avoid over steering and harsh braking and harsh acceleration. Use the highest gear possible to avoid wheel spin. Select a low gear when travelling downhill especially if through bends.
• In blizzard conditions, visibility will be reduced greatly. Do not drive on the tail-lights of the vehicle in front (Target Fixing). This can give a false sense of security and you will be too close to be able to brake safely. In heavy snow, use your fog lights, turn off your radio and open your window a fraction, so you can hear other traffic, especially at junctions.
• Use dipped headlights at all times, and fog lights in heavy snow to ensure you are seen by other motorists (but don’t forget to turn them off afterwards).
• Watch out for vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists and allow extra space.
• Drivers of high sided vehicles like trucks and buses are particularly at risk from both the dangers posed by snow but also from the high winds associated with blizzard conditions.

In Dublin, the city council has a Winter Maintenance Plan in place for the next couple of days. 

Salt barns are full to capacity and gritting lorries, snowploughs and staff from the road division are “on standby and ready to be called into action”, the DCC said.

“In the event of freezing temperatures, ice and snow, we will treat 300km of our main roads across the City and will be working to keep these clear of snow and ice,” the council said.

“We will have a 24 hour presence on our road network, to ensure operational continuity throughout any prolonged period of poor weather.”

Roads in the city have been gritted all throughout this week and all road users, including cyclists, have been advised to “take care on the roads and slow down”. 

With reporting by Garreth MacNamee and Orla Dwyer.