Wintry snap will chill Ireland to the bone
A WINTRY blast of biting galeforce winds, some sleet and snow and even thunderstorms are on the way this week — and once again it is the west and north that will be hardest hit.
And, worryingly, very high seas along Atlantic coasts will bring the risk of coastal flooding, particularly along the western seaboard.
Today should be relatively settled with early mist and fog clearing, though rain will spread through Munster, Connacht and Leinster later.
The rest of the country should remain dry but it will become more blustery after dark. Met Eireann is warning that it will become increasingly unsettled.
Rain will clear tomorrow morning but colder showery conditions will follow in the afternoon and winds will get stronger.
It will be bitingly cold and very windy tomorrow night with showers turning increasingly wintry in the west and north-west, with gale-force winds. Showers should be well scattered in the east.
On Tuesday and Wednesday it will get steadily worse with wintry showers, and falls of sleet and snow expected especially in western and northern counties which may accumulate.
And there may also be hail and isolated thunderstorms in some places.
Gale-force winds with severe gusts will hit parts of the west and north.
In conjunction with very high seas along Atlantic coasts, there is a risk of coastal flooding.
And wind-chill will mean it will feel bitingly cold.
Road users should beware of frost and icy stretches in sheltered areas, and sudden wintry showers.
Another cold snap will make things even more difficult for the farming community who are struggling with a shortage of fodder, particularly in the west and north-west of the country.
Agriculture Minister Michael Creed has said that he will continue to monitor the fodder supply situation through a feedback group chaired by Teagasc, which is scheduled to meet for a second time tomorrow. He said the fodder action group was convened a month ago in order to ensure a coordinated approach to the issue of fodder availability in affected areas of the north-west.