Northern Ireland

Snow and ice weather warning extended by Met Office in Northern Ireland

Temperatures are forecast to drop further to minus 4C in parts.

Donkey in the snow
A Donkey in the snow on Divis mountain on Monday, as Snow showers, ice, fog, frosty nights and low daytime temperatures are all forecast in the coming days. Picture by Colm Lenaghan

The snow and ice warnings that were previously issued by the Met Office in Northern Ireland have been extended.

The yellow alert came into force at 3am today, Monday January 15, and will now stay in place until 11am tomorrow.

In a statement The Met Office said that brisk northern winds will push snow showers inland across Northern Ireland throughout today, potentially dropping up to 5cm across higher elevations like the Coleraine Mountain Road and Glenshane Pass.

A major strike by over 150,000 public sector workers is set to cause widespread disruption across Northern Ireland on Thursday, coinciding with a forecast for snow which means road gritting services will be impacted.

Road, bus, and train services may have lengthier travel times on certain routes and railroads due to the weather, Trafficwatch NI has warned.

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Walkers  on Divis mountain on Monday, as Snow showers, ice, fog, frosty nights and low daytime temperatures are all forecast in the coming days.
PICTURE: COLM LENAGHAN
Walkers on Divis mountain on Monday, as Snow showers, ice, fog, frosty nights and low daytime temperatures are all forecast in the coming days. PICTURE: COLM LENAGHAN

Tomorrow morning, a swath of sleet and snow is forecast to move eastward, laying down 1-3cm of snow in parts which will increase iciness before transitioning to rain as temperatures gradually climb.

Weather warnings are in place across Ireland amid plummeting temperatures of minus 4C in parts.

Snow showers could bring some disruption and the public has been warned to expect that some roads and railways are likely to be affected with longer journey times on services.

Walkers  on Divis mountain on Monday, as Snow showers, ice, fog, frosty nights and low daytime temperatures are all forecast in the coming days.
PICTURE: COLM LENAGHAN
Walkers on Divis mountain on Monday, as Snow showers, ice, fog, frosty nights and low daytime temperatures are all forecast in the coming days. PICTURE: COLM LENAGHAN

The forecaster said there will probably be some injuries from slips and falls on icy surfaces such as untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths.

A separate yellow-level snow warning will come into effect for the most northern parts for all of Wednesday and Thursday.

Met Éireann has issued a cold weather alert for early this morning, warning of potentially icy patches and some freezing fog.

A status yellow low temperature and ice warning for every county in the Republic, with warnings of sleet and snow showers in places.

The warnings were due to came into effect from 7pm on Sunday until 11am on Monday.

Met Éireann advised that lowest temperatures overnight from Sunday into Monday will be between minus 3C and 1C, possibly colder in the midlands.

Temperatures are forecast to drop further to minus 4C in parts on Monday and Tuesday night.

A further yellow-level snow and ice warning will come into effect for Donegal between 6pm on Monday and 11am on Tuesday.

Scattered wintry showers will give way to more widespread sleet or snow with the potential for small accumulations.

Tuesday will continue to be very cold, with frost and ice in many areas. Further outbreaks of rain, sleet or snow is expected in Ulster, north Connacht and north Leinster, turning mostly to rain.

It will be brighter further south with some sunshine expected on Tuesday. Highest temperatures are expected to be around 6C.

The UK is also bracing for wintry conditions this week as an Arctic blast brings up to 5cm of snow in parts of the country along with travel disruptions.

Yellow warnings for snow and ice are in effect for much of Scotland and Norfolk.

Additional alerts are in place for northern England and Wales for icy conditions and further snowfall through Thursday.

This low temperatures in the UK might cause delays or stranding of vehicles as National Highways have issued a “severe weather alert” for snow.