Status yellow low temperature and ice warning issued for 10 counties

Ellen O'Donoghue

A status yellow low temperature and ice warning has been issued for 10 counties.

Carlow, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Longford, Meath, Offaly, Westmeath, Wicklow, and Tipperary will come under the advisory from 11pm on Thursday until 8am on Friday.

Widespread frost is to be expected, with minimum air temperatures of -3 degrees and possibly lower locally.

People have been advised that there could be animal welfare issues if they are kept outdoors, and motorists may face difficult travelling conditions.

A status yellow snow and ice warning has expired for the north west but remains in place in Northern Ireland until midday.

Nationally, Thursday is expected to be cold with sunny spells and scattered showers, becoming isolated later. Most of the showers will be in the north and west, according to Met Éireann, and some will be wintry.

Highest temperatures of 3 to 7 degrees are forecast, in a light to moderate northwesterly breeze.

Thursday night is to be a largely dry and clear night, but turning very cold, with temperatures falling to 0 to -3 degrees, leading to some frost and icy stretches.

Clouds are expected to build from the west later in the night, with the coldest temperatures in the east, with generally light winds.

Friday is forecast to be a mostly dry day to start, becoming cloudy later in the morning with outbreaks of rain developing along Atlantic coastal counties in a freshening southwesterly breeze. Highest temperatures of 5 to 9 degrees can be expected.