Big Freeze: County councils instructed to ration their salt

With near Antarctic conditions expected in Ireland this Christmas, local authorities have been told to go easy on the salt.

A Big Freeze is expected this Thursday, and Met Eireann’s Pat Clarke predicts that temperatures will fall below – 9 degrees Celsius before the end of the year, thanks to the incoming polar winds.

There are 20,000 tonnes of salt in storage and another 20,000 are set to be delivered, though some authorities are complaining that they don’t have enough to clear roads still affected.

"We will be okay if we manage supplies this week and more supplies arrive next week," an NRA source said. "Local authorities have been told to ration their supplies to prepare for the return to harsh weather."

Munster, the west, the north-west and the north look like the areas that will be worst hit by the snow.