Drivers are being warned about black ice on the roads this Friday morning, after temperatures dropped to minus-four in places overnight.
Met Éireann has issued a status yellow low temperature and ice alert, which will remain in place throughout the country until 11am.
The forecaster said ice has formed on untreated surfaces.
Conor Faughnan from the AA said people need to take extra care if they are driving this morning.
“It’s certainly affected country-wide, worst affected areas [are] probably the north-western part of the island, but also places like Kerry and Kildare,” he said.
“There are roads that never thawed out from yesterday, so very icy conditions, particularly on the secondary roads and it is countrywide.
“The advice has to be to slow down. There’s reduced traffic with the Covid restrictions, but there’s still plenty of people on essential journeys.”
Widespread frost and ice to begin the day. Overall dry with winter sunshine, but well scattered wintry showers too, mainly across Ulster and the very east of Leinster. Highs only 1 to 5 degrees. Extremely cold and frosty after dark. https://t.co/9gKN6SVok4 pic.twitter.com/YbHZeRRPfW
— Met Éireann (@MetEireann) January 8, 2021
Mr Faughnan said it had been a “treacherous” week on Irish roads, with a surprising amount of accidents given reduced traffic amid Covid-19 restrictions.
“We’re reporting an increased incidence at AA Roadwatch, which does surprise us because the Covid restrictions have reduced traffic volumes considerably,” he said.
“But still a lot of people [are] out there and every morning this week has been icy, so there has been dangerous conditions on roads.
“We’ve had lots of minor bumps and knocks, car breakdowns even, so it has been a treacherous week on the roads.”
