MET ÉIREANN HAS said there could be some snow coverings in parts of the country in the early days of next week.

Arctic air over Ireland on Monday means we can expect crisp sunny weather, but also some snow showers in the north and west of the country.

Ulster and counties Mayo and Sligo are “more in line to maybe see some snow showers” says Met Éireann’s operational meteorologist Liz Walsh.

The risk of snow showers is due to cold northerly air coming over the ocean towards Ireland, picking up moisture as it travels over the water eventually arriving on the Ulster coast.

As the showers come further inland they will lose their strength, so it’s unlikely snow will be seen further south and east.

Walsh says the air is so cold that temperatures are not expected to reach above 4 degrees, with a lot of areas not reaching above one or two degrees.

She added that while the majority of the country will be cold and sunny, frost may form at night and could create some icy conditions if the frost is slow to clear.

By the end of the next week Ireland will be experiencing warm southerly winds, meaning a return to wet and windy conditions.

In the UK, the Met Office has issued a yellow snow and ice warning for Northern Ireland on Monday. 

The Met Office say there will be showers, “initially falling as snow” over higher ground and sleet and rain elsewhere. However, showers will fall as snow to all levels during the day as increasingly cold air comes up from the south.

Up to 5cm of snow is likely on higher routes with a few centimetres expected at lower levels. The warning is in place from 3am to 12am.