THE RECENT COLD snap is set to continue today with warmer temperatures not expected until the arrival of more unsettled conditions later this week.

The chilly weather experienced in the last week is explained by Met Éireann as being down to the amplification of the polar jetstream over the north Atlantic Ocean.

The forecaster says this has helped the development of “a blocking high pressure system” which is extending from the Azores in the mid-Atlantic all the way to Greenland.

That system means polar air is flooding southwards into northwestern Europe.

And as a result, it is expected to be another bright and sunny day today, meaning more cool conditions and highs of just 1 to 5 degrees Celsius.

A nationwide Status Yellow fog warning which began at midnight on Saturday night also remains in place until 1pm. 

Met Éireann is warning motorists to beware that icy stretches and fog patches in parts of the country will lead to dangerous driving conditions in some areas this morning.

Temperatures tonight will fall to between – 2 and + 2 degrees, with frost and icy patches forming where any clear spells prevail.

However, there could be a change on the way as temperatures increase tonight in the north of the country if cloud builds as expected.

The national forecaster predicts a further rise in temperatures tomorrow, rising to 5 to 8 degrees Celsius on what will be a mostly dry day.

Rain is expected to arrive in some parts on Tuesday night, extending across the country on Wednesday to bring a continued increase in temperatures and the end of the current cold spell.