Whole country under weather warning as wintry conditions sweep in

Ottoline Spearman

The temperature is set to plummet to as low as -4 degrees with warnings in place for every county at some point this weekend.

A status yellow low temperature and ice warning is in place for Munster, Carlow, Dublin, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Longford, Meath, Offaly, Westmeath, Wexford, Wicklow from 6pm on Saturday to 11am on Sunday; as well as from 6pm on Sunday to 11am on Monday.

Temperatures will be falling to between -2 and -4 degrees in many areas, with "sharp or severe frost and icy stretches".

There is also a status yellow snow-ice warning for Cavan, Donegal, Monaghan, Connacht, Louth from 6pm on Saturday to 11am on Sunday; as well as from 6pm on Sunday to 11am on Monday.

There is also a yellow warning for snow and ice for Donegal between 8pm on Friday and 11am on Saturday.

The UK Met Office has a yellow warning for snow and ice in place for all of Northern Ireland between 3pm on Friday and midday on Saturday.

That will immediately be followed by another yellow warning until midday on Monday in more northern areas.

Additional reporting by PA