A status yellow low temperature and ice warning has been issued for 10 counties in the Republic.
All of Connacht, as well as Cavan, Monaghan, Donegal, Longford and Clare are included in the warning which will come into effect at 6pm this evening and last until 10am on Wednesday.
A similar warning has also been issued by the UK Met Office for counties Antrim, Armagh, Down and Tyrone, beginning at 4pm today.
Status Yellow - Low Temperature/Ice warning for Connacht, Cavan, Monaghan, Donegal, Longford and Clare https://t.co/Xg3aMJlyuS
Valid: 18:00 Tuesday 05/01/2021 to 10:00 Wednesday 06/01/2021
Issued: 13:00 Tuesday 05/01/2021
Updated: 13:22 Tuesday 05/01/2021 pic.twitter.com/YRZ8nByHzZ— Met Éireann (@MetEireann) January 5, 2021
Met Éireann is forecasting temperatures will drop to between -2 and -5 degrees overnight, with widespread severe frost and icy patches on untreated surfaces.
The forecaster earlier warned of temperatures “well below normal” as a result of a ‘Sudden Stratospheric Warming’ (SSW), similar to what caused the 'Beast from the East' storm in 2018.
Met Éireann said it was uncertain how this SSW will impact the weather in the coming weeks, because it is already in a “very blocked” pressure set-up.
