Updated 11.50pm

A STATUS RED weather warning has been issued all counties in Ireland from tonight at 11pm until 3pm on Friday.

The alert was issued tonight by Met Éireann and appears to replace an earlier high-level snow-ice warning that was to be in effect in Leinster and Munster from 4pm tomorrow until noon on Friday.

“Heavy snow showers” are expected overnight in counties Dublin, Kildare, Louth, Wexford, Wicklow, Meath, Cork and Waterford. Earlier this evening, Met Éireann had extended the Status Red county to cover the above counties.

Met Eireann say that it will be “bitterly cold” night tonight, with temperatures possibly dropping as low as -8 degrees.

Education Minister Richard Bruton confirmed that the escalation of the alert across the entire country means that ALL schools will be closed on Thursday and Friday.

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Tomorrow, Storm Emma will arrive from the southern part of the country and collide with the cold mass of air which brought today’s dousing of snow, which is expected to increase snowfall.

Earlier tonight, Minister for Transport Shane Ross said that 25cm of snow was expected tomorrow, and 40cm was forecast by lunchtime on Friday.

People have been warned not to leave their homes during a Status Red weather alert unless absolutely necessary.