Easter revellers w arned to w rap up as frost, fog and sleet forecast

EASTER-egg hunters and racing fans were warned to wrap up warm as Ireland will experience another bout of cold, frosty weather from Good Friday.

Met Éireann warned that Ireland would see overnight temperatures again plummeting to as low as -2C, while afternoon temperatures until Easter Monday won’t rise above 8C.

A high-pressure zone is shielding Ireland from milder Atlantic conditions while allowing icy winds from Scandinavia to sweep over the country.

Weather conditions won’t be anywhere near as severe as during Storm Emma and the Beast from the East. However, the Easter weekend will be cold, with frost, patches of freezing fog in some areas and occasionally heavy wintry showers of rain and sleet.

“It will remain unsettled for the weekend,” a Met Éireann spokesperson said. “[Holy] Thursday and [Good] Friday will be cold and showery days with showers turning to sleet on higher ground.”

Gardaí and the Road Safety Authority (RSA) urged motorists planning on travelling for the Easter weekend to allow extra time for journeys given the potential threat posed by early morning frost, ice and even freezing fog.

“We would again urge drivers to follow a few simple rules – allow plenty of time for journeys, please slow down, allow for potentially slippery road conditions and ensure they have sufficient braking distance to the vehicle in front,” the RSA said.

Gardaí warned that roads are expected to be exceptionally busy over the Easter weekend.

The coldest conditions will again be in Dublin, north Leinster, Ulster and north Connacht.

The lowest overnight temperatures in these areas will be -2C from this evening with frost expected every morning until Sunday. However, southern areas will be warmer. Some places will also enjoy spells of bright sunshine.

The good news is that milder Atlantic conditions will begin to take over from Sunday night with Easter Monday expected to be cloudy with potentially heavy showers, though noticeably warmer.