AFTER THE FLOOD.. THE ARCTIC BLAST

Temperatures set to plunge to -4C

A BITTER cold snap is due to bring further weather misery just as communities recover from the devastation of Storm Eleanor.

As people pick up the pieces from the damage caused by gale force winds and high tides, sub-zero temperatures are set to freeze parts of Ireland tonight with bitter -2C lows predicted.

Forecasters have warned the mercury could drop as low as -4C over the weekend with freezing fog and wintry showers on higher ground. Tomorrow will be very cold with a north-easterly wind making it feel very raw.

A Met Eireann spokesman said: “This weekend in a word: cold. Near the coast the wind will be fresh. Tonight will be -2C to 1C.

“Saturday will have high pressure building from the north-west. It will feel cold.”

The service warned of widespread frost, with very icy conditions tomorrow. Overnight will be cold and icy with temperatures in most places ranging from zero to -3 or -4 and the risk of some freezing fog in northern parts.

Sunday will be a very cold, bright and mainly dry day with sunshine and light winds.

■ Tens of thousands of homes were left without electricity earlier this week due to the storm, while the west coast was hit by widespread flooding.

Status orange and status yellow wind warnings were in place for large parts of the country with gusts of up to 130km/h.

The final status yellow warning expired at 1pm yesterday.

Galway city centre was particularly badly hit with some shops suffering significant water damage.

Cars left on coastal roads and in car parks were also swept away by flash floods and waves.