Northern Ireland

Icy weather hits north with yellow warning in place until early Friday morning

Rain, sleet and snow have hit the north as temperatures dropped

Snow Showers on the outskirts of West Belfast on Thursday morning. PICTURE; COLM LENAGHAN
Snow showers on the outskirts of west Belfast on Thursday morning. PICTURE: COLM LENAGHAN
By Gráinne Ní Aodha, PA

Icy weather has continued to cause travel disruption across the north.

A yellow weather warning for snow and ice was issued by the Met Office for Thursday morning, and remains in place until 6am on Friday.

A band of rain, sleet and snow led to travel disruption, as temperatures remained low on Thursday.

The Met Office warned there was a “slight chance that some rural communities could become temporarily cut off” as a result of the wintery conditions.

Hot or Cold…… A Women battles threw the snow on Divis Mountain with snow falls across Ireland. PICTURE: COLM LENAGHAN
A walker braves snowy conditions on Divis Mountain on Thursday. PICTURE: COLM LENAGHAN

Met Éireann also issued a Status Yellow snow and ice warning for Co Donegal, valid from 3pm to 8pm on Thursday, forecasting that sleet and snow could lead to accumulations in some areas, with the most significant amounts on higher ground.

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This could lead to hazardous travelling conditions, poor visibility and ice on untreated surfaces.

PACEMAKER BELFAST 08/02/2024 Sheep on the Glenshane pass A weather warning is in force in Northern Ireland until 06:00 GMT on Friday. Some disruption is possible with rain, sleet, and snow forecast. Accumulating snow is expected to be mainly over higher ground, while at lower levels many places will see little if any snow. Above 150m, including the Glenshane Pass and Antrim Hills, 5-10cm (2-4in) of snow is likely to fall with a chance of 15cm falling in a few places.
Show in a field close to the Glenshane Pass. PICTURE: PACEMAKER

Overnight, the coldest temperatures will be in the northern half of the island, with the lowest between zero and five degrees, and five to seven degrees in the south.

Meanwhile, temperatures will rise slightly for the north for Saturday, while the wintery weather will remain over much of Scotland, where a yellow warning remains in place until Saturday evening.

A Women battles threw the snow on Divis Mountain with snow falls across Ireland. PICTURE: COLM LENAGHAN
A woman battles through the snow on Divis Mountain with snow falls across Ireland. PICTURE: COLM LENAGHAN