Ireland weather: Public warned to beware of 'invisible hazards' as temperatures to plunge to -8 degrees
25 counties have been issued with a Status Orange weather warning ahead of freezing conditions tonight
People are being urged to keep their guard up ahead of a Status Orange low temperature warning issued for most counties on Tuesday and Wednesday night.
Snow and sub-zero conditions have already caused hazardous driving conditions and cut power and water to thousands of homes, with crews from various agencies working to help stranded communities.
The worst-hit counties are Tipperary, Limerick, Cork and Kerry, where authorities have deployed additional supports to clear snow before sub-zero temperatures hit again.
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An Orange alert is in place for most counties from 8pm on Tuesday until 10am on Wednesday, with severe frost, ice and snow forecast. Another Orange low temperature warning is in place from 6pm on Wednesday until 11am on Thursday for 25 counties. Separately, a Status Yellow low temperature warning remains in place for all counties until 6am on Friday.
Taoiseach Simon Harris warned people to be aware of the “invisible hazards” as temperatures fall to as low as minus eight degrees overnight. Speaking in Naas, Co Kildare, at the opening of Craddockstown Special School, Mr Harris said Ireland was moving from snow to low temperatures and people would face “treacherous” conditions as a result.
He added: “We will experience cold weather, the likes of which we’re not very used to in this country – talking about temperatures dropping to minus eight degrees, minus 10 degrees, and in many ways, it could potentially be a more dangerous period of time, because while snow may not be visible everywhere, footpaths and roads can be extremely dangerous.”
Mr Harris said the emphasis was on local decision making as weather conditions vary greatly within counties and this placed a “significant” burden on principals, teachers and boards of managements on whether to open. He asked people to “help each other out” and said that “nobody should be afraid to put on the heating” during the cold spell.
Mr Harris said: “It’s really important that people keep their guard up, because footpaths, roads and the likes can be extremely treacherous in the hours ahead.”
The ESB said 10,000 of its customers were without power by 7am on Tuesday, while approximately 17,000 people were without water by midday on Tuesday, down from 30,000 on Monday night. However, Irish water authority Uisce Eireann expects that freezing temperatures overnight may have further impacts on water supplies.
Temperatures are expected to “struggle” to get above freezing during the day with transport disruption and hazardous travelling conditions. Tuesday is set to have the highest temperatures of zero to 5C.
Met Éireann forecaster Andrew Doran-Sherlock said it will be “bitterly cold” overnight into Wednesday, adding that a few wintry showers will affect parts of the north and west. The lowest temperatures are expected to be -8C to -3C generally, although it could dip even lower in some regions, with a severe frost and icy stretches. The national forecaster is also warning of the risk of freezing fog developing over the coming days.
Temperatures are predicted to increase through Thursday night and Friday as rain, sleet and snow moves north-eastwards over the country, becoming milder for the weekend.
The cold snap has seen tens of thousands of people without water and electricity, with crews continuing to work to restore access to the services for the remaining affected homes and businesses on Tuesday. The severe weather also prompted the HSE to cancel non-urgent appointments in the south-west of the country.
The Irish Defence Forces were deployed on Monday to assist with transporting patients and essential healthcare workers amid hazardous conditions. Some public transport services have been curtailed and cancelled, while schools in the worst-affected parts of the country also took the decision to close, with the situation being assessed on a morning-by-morning basis.
A Status Yellow snow and ice warning issued by the UK Met Office, meanwhile, is in place for all of Northern Ireland until midday on Wednesday.
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