Wrap up well.
A Status Yellow low temperature and ice warning for Ireland has been put in place until noon today as temperatures dropped significantly overnight.
Met Eireann issued three weather warnings on Thursday as the country braved the first of the extreme cold this winter, with the current warning in place from 10 pm.
The Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said that it “is highly unlikely” some homes will experience blackouts with farms and small businesses not being “ruled out” either.
A separate Status Yellow snow and ice warning for Donegal also began at 9 pm last night and is to remain in place until midday Saturday as the county experiences scattered sleet and snow showers.
A Status Yellow snow and ice warning for Dublin and Wicklow was lifted at 6 am on Friday morning after the two counties saw wintry showers with snow in places.
Much of the country will be dry on Friday with low winter sunshine☀️
Very cold though🥶 with icy stretches, some lying snow❄️, & patches of freezing fog in parts
Wintry showers🌨️ will affect some northern & western coastal counties
Highs🌡️ of 0 to 4°C pic.twitter.com/yyZiK8CiI2
— Met Éireann (@MetEireann) December 8, 2022
The UK Met Office has issued a yellow ice warning for Antrim, Down, Tyrone and Derry which is in place from 4 pm yesterday to noon on Saturday.
Varadkar confirmed yesterday that the Government was advised by EirGrid that there will be times when the margin between supply and demand is going to be tight.
“We did come close to an amber alert in the last couple of days – have not had one since August – although that may happen,” Varadkar told the Dáil.
“We can’t guarantee” that there won’t be a red alert, he added.
If this occurs, “where the demand for electricity outstretches the amount we can generate, the first port of call is to power down the large energy users which are the data centres that have their own backup electricity”.
Today is set to be very cold with icy stretches as well as some lying snow and patches of freezing fog.
Tomorrow’s forecast reads: “Generally dry with low winter sunshine, and isolated wintry showers. Frost and ice lingering in unsheltered areas, along with some patches of freezing fog. Highest temperatures of only 0 to +4 degrees, in light northwesterly breezes.”
Sunday is set to be colder again as temperatures struggle to rise above freezing for most with frost, ice and freezing fog persisting throughout the day, with temperatures of -2 to +2 degrees.
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