Met Éireann has issued a Status Yellow weather waring as temperatures are expected to drop significantly over the coming hours.
Conditions are expected to become “very cold” with “widespread frost and ice” with temperatures to fall to -3 degrees or below in many areas.
The warning says that the potential impacts of the sudden drop are “hazardous travelling conditions” as well as “animal welfare issues”.
The warning is valid from 18:00 Thursday 02/01/2025 until 11:00 Friday 03/01/2025.
A Small Craft warning is also in place from Rossan Point to Fair Head to Carlingford Lough with West to northwest winds forecast to reach force 6.
This warning is valid: 23:00 Thursday 02/01/2025 to 09:00 Friday 03/01/2025
Speaking to RTÉ Radio One’s Morning Ireland, Met Éireann’s Brandon Creagh said a weather advisory will follow the weather warning.
“Since yesterday we’ve been in a sharp northerly airflow,” Mr. Creagh said.
“Temperatures tonight are expected to drop to as low as -5 degrees, across the entire country.
“We don’t know exactly where the snow will fall in the coming days and that’s why we will issue a weather advisory, we’re asking people to keep an eye on the weather forecast.
Deputy Head of Forecasting, Liz Coleman gave a summary of the weather from Wednesday evening onwards saying there would be “quite a change for Thursday and Friday, feeling much more like winter with bright, cold and crisp days and a few wintry showers. Very cold at night with widespread frost and some icy patches so do take care when out and about.”
The forecast in detail from Met Éireann is as follows:
Frost and any ice will clear this morning to leave a cold day and it’ll be dry and sunny in many areas. There’ll be scattered showers though, mainly in Ulster and Connacht, some of hail and sleet. There’ll be a few snow flurries too, mainly in the north. Highest temperatures of only 2 to 6 degrees in a light to moderate mainly north to northwest breeze.
Cold tonight with clear spells and while it’ll be dry in most areas, there’ll be well scattered showers, mainly in the north and west, some wintry. Lowest temperatures of -5 to 0 degrees with widespread frost and some ice developing. Some fog and freezing fog will form too. Winds will be mostly light west to northwesterly or variable, but will be fresher in northern coastal parts.
It’ll be frosty to begin tomorrow morning with some fog in places too. The frost and fog will clear to leave another cold day, but it’ll be dry and sunny again in many areas. However there’ll be scattered showers, mainly in the north and some in the west, a few wintry, and with more persistent rain for a time in north Ulster. Highest temperatures of 2 to 6 degrees in mostly light to moderate westerly or variable breezes, the winds fresher for a time in coastal parts of the north and northeast.