UPDATE Met Éireann says freezing weather may include 'longer spells of sleet or snow' #SNEACHTA

Met Éireann's forecast for the first week of January will see cold, wintry weather continue to dominate with hard frosts persisting and the likelihood of long snow showers toward the end of the week especially on the eastern side of Ireland.

 

The forecaster says conditions will stay very cold, predicting temperatures not rise into double figures by day and are expected to drop to as low as -5 degrees Celcius on some nights. The cold weather is below average for January.

 

Met Éireann says the hard frosts by night carry the icy patches on untreated surfaces.

 

As for the snow, Met Éireann wintry showers may turn to snow on higher ground on Mondy while the cold weather will mix with weather from the west later in the week leading to further wintry showers or longer spells of sleet or snow at times on Thursday and Friday.

 

NATIONAL FORECAST

 

Issued at 4.48 pm on January 3.

MONDAY: Dry and sunny for much of the west and north tomorrow, Monday, with frost and ice slow to clear in the morning. A cloudier day in the east and south with showers affecting Leinster and Munster, some turning to sleet, with snow on higher ground. Highest temperatures of 2 to 4 degrees, a little higher on northern and eastern coasts where moderate northeast winds will occasionally be fresh and gusty.

There'll be cloudy conditions in the east Monday night, with wintry showers persisting on the coast. Elsewhere, it will be a dry and cold night with clear spells. Lowest temperatures of -2 to +1 degrees. Winds will be generally light, north to northeast in direction and fog may form in the south.

Tuesday: There'll be little change through Tuesday; it'll be cloudy at times in the east and south, with isolated rain and sleet showers on the coasts, there'll be good sunshine elsewhere. Fog may linger into the afternoon in parts of the south. Afternoon temperatures of 2 or 3 degrees will fall overnight to as low as -3 degrees. Light north or northeast breezes will keep temperatures just a little higher at coasts.

Wednesday: A change of wind direction on Wednesday, light northerly winds will back westerly. It'll be a mainly dry day with just a few isolated showers in coastal areas. Cold too, with afternoon temperatures of just 1 or 2 degrees, even with some sunshine. It will cloud in from the west through the afternoon, with outbreaks of rain arriving in Atlantic coasts on Wednesday night. The rain will break up as it clears southeastwards, turning wintry in some areas. Lowest temperatures of -3 to 0 degrees with frost and ice stretches.

Thursday and Friday: Continuing cold with further wintry showers or longer spells of sleet or snow at times. Day time temperatures of 1 to 4 degrees with freezing conditions overnight.

Next weekend will continue mainly dry and temperatures picking up. It will become somewhat cloudier with a little patchy rain or drizzle at times. It will be less cold also with daytime temperatures of 3 to 7 degrees on Saturday and 4 to 8 degrees on Sunday. Frost will be less widespread and less severe.