The Road Safety Authority (RSA) has issued a warning to vulnerable road users, including cyclists, as Met Eireann has issued new ice and snow warnings for large parts of the country. The worst conditions, including icy roads and snow of up to 5-10cm, applies to today and tomorrow.
However, very cold and wet weather is forecast to continue for several days and will continue it large parts of the country into the weekend. In Leinster motorists and cyclists are being urged to keep away from the Sally Gap and the Wicklow Gap, with some cars already photographed on their side in the ditches in the area.
The orange weather alerts now issued at the second highest extreme warning issued by Met Éireann, the Irish National Meteorological Service. And while the worst of the snowy conditions will have passed by Sunday, sleet and some snow will continue to fall, especially on Saturday. It means even if there is little or no disruption on roads in the vast majority of the Republic and Northern Ireland, it will be tough cycling weather this weekend.
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The RSA has issued the bulk of its warnings to drivers, telling them to slow down, leave bigger gaps to the vehicles ahead of them and to take care around vulnerable road users. It added that pedestrians and cyclists needed to take care if out and about today, tomorrow and, to an extent, on Sunday.
Snow is expected tonight and "very severe frost" will be in evidence tomorrow morning, with snow expected to fall overnight in many of those places experiencing rain today.
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Two trucks and a Bus off the road just outside Lissycasey on the Ennis side. Photo sent in by follower. I also came across a car gone off the road in Laois. Take great care on roads in areas seeing snow. pic.twitter.com/gs4NvGOF4i
— Carlow Weather (@CarlowWeather) March 9, 2023
Met Eireann today upgraded its snow and ice warning to Status Orange for most of the country after snow fell in some parts of the country last night. An Orange alert has been issued for counties Cavan, Donegal, Monaghan, Clare, Longford, Louth, Meath, Westmeath, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Roscommon, Sligo, Antrim, Armagh and Down. It was in force from 11am and will stay in place to midnight tonight.
A 'Yellow warning' remains in place for the rest of the country until 12 noon tomorrow. From midnight tonight until 10am tomorrow morning an 'Orange warning' is in place for Leinster, with the 'Yellow warning' in place for the rest of the country.
"The worst conditions are are definitely Limerick and Clare right now, up through the Midlands at present; a swathe across from the higher group in Wicklow to Carlow, Kilkenny and right up through north Leinster - Longford, Westmeath over to Roscommon and into Galway and Mayo," said Ger Murphy from Met Éireann, the Irish National Meteorological Service
"Those areas are getting the snowfall now and it will be the northern half of the country that will get the worst of the conditions through the afternoon. While this is quite severe for today and tonight it is going to clear over the weekend. Tomorrow will be cold with lying snow and then we'll have rain pushing up on Saturday.
"That (rain) will fall as sleet and perhaps a little bit of snow. But behind that there will be much milder air, so it it will all disappear by Sunday," he said, though adding the rest of the weekend could still see cold and wet conditions.
“At the moment, across the country, there is a band of rain moving northwards over the country. But because it is so cold it is falling as sleet and snow in many areas. Currently, the northern flank is in the north midlands from Dundalk to Mayo. As it continues to move northwards, it is going to bring sleet and snow to many areas today.
"In the south, it is going to get milder and turn back to rain and sleet. It should be pointed out there are two halves to this story. There is rain, sleet and snow pushing northwards at the moment. However, this evening and tonight, as it gets much colder, it will turn to sleet and snow. Especially over the eastern half of the country where it will be that bit more windier and disruptive."
