Baby, it’s cold outside... and wet and fairly miserable!

IT has been cold, dark and miserable – and there isn’t much light relief today.

We’re set for another day of bad weather with bitterly cold temperatures, strong winds and heavy downpours.

A snow-ice warning remains in place for the entire country until 8pm, with showers likely to produce some hail and sleet, and possibly snow in higher grounds.

However, forecaster, Vincent O’Shea says that temperatures won’t plummet as low as they have over the past few days.

‘There will be some improvement to the extreme weather,’ Mr O’Shea said. ‘There will be isolated icy patches, but not as cold as recent nights.’

We also won’t see a repeat of last weekend’s winter wonderland, as the forecaster added that while snow is a possibility for high grounds in the north-east, it most likely won’t be experienced in populated areas. Lowest temperatures are set to range from zero to four degrees.

Connacht and the north west of the country are set to be battered by heavy thundery downpours, with rainfall accumulations of up to 50mm expected for Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo and Sligo. A status yellow rainfall warning is in place for these counties until 1 pm today.

Met Éireann have also issued a status yellow wind warning for Limerick, Cork, Kerry, Clare, Mayo, Galway and Donegal, in place until midnight tonight with coastal areas to experience the worst winds.

Gusts of up to 110kph are possible, while average winds will be between 50 and 65kph.

Temperatures are expected to return to average towards the end of the weekend.