LAST UPDATE | 9 Jan 2025

A STATUS ORANGE low temperature and ice warning has come into effect for 15 counties this evening ahead of more “extremely cold” weather.

The weather warning for Carlow, Cavan, Donegal, Galway, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Leitrim, Longford, Meath, Monaghan, Offaly, Roscommon, Tipperary and Westmeath will remain in place until 8am tomorrow morning.

A Status Yellow low temperature and ice warning is also in place for the whole country until 12pm tomorrow.

Met Éireann is warning that it will be extremely cold in those areas with widespread severe frost and ice with lying snow in some areas and patches of freezing fog. Potential impacts include dangerous travelling conditions on roads and underfoot, travel disruption and delays and animal welfare issues.

Weather stations in Athenry and Mullingar recorded temperatures of -7 degrees last night, with many other parts of the country also experiencing subzero conditions.

The National Emergency Co-ordination Group (NECG) met again this morning to discuss the ongoing response.

Very cold with widespread frost & ice or black ice❄️

Most places will be dry early in the night, apart from a few wintry showers in the northwest🌨️

Cloud will increase across the southwest overnight & rain will develop in Munster, turning to sleet or snow on high ground☁️🌧️🌨️ pic.twitter.com/As95pnNKZl

— Met Éireann (@MetEireann) January 9, 2025

In Northern Ireland, a Status Yellow snow and ice weather warning for Antrim, Fermanagh, Tyrone and Derry is in effect until 10am tomorrow.

Tonight is set to remain very cold with widespread frost, ice and some black ice. The national forecaster said most places will be dry early in the night, apart from a few wintry showers in the northwest.

Cloud will increase across the southwest overnight and rain will develop in Munster, turning to sleet or snow on high ground, while moderate to fresh easterly winds will develop in the southwest.

Otherwise winds will be light so patches of freezing fog will develop, the forecaster said. Lowest temperatures of -7 to -2 degrees.

Met Éireann meteorologist Brandon Creagh told RTÉ’s Drivetime programme this evening that the country can expect to see the cold snap start to ease up from tomorrow, but people should still be careful over the weekend as the thaw will be gradual.

“We do have a warm front slowly making its way towards the southwest, and that’s going to gradually bring temperatures up across today, tomorrow and into Saturday.” Creagh said.

“Saturday is when we’ll see a proper thaw across the country with the snow melting, but for tonight into tomorrow, as that snow melts in the places that still have a good deal of snow and ice, that could possibly freeze again tomorrow night, so we could get some ice again tomorrow night.

“But then as we head into Saturday, we get the warm front pushing up across the country, a high pressure system developing to our southeast, which is going to bring more warm air from the south as we head into the weekend.”

Speaking to RTÉ Radio One’s Morning Ireland this morning, meteorologist Matthew Martin confirmed that Mullingar experienced freezing temperatures of nearly minus eight degrees last night, the lowest in the country. He added that the lowest temperature ever recorded in Ireland was minus 19.1 degrees in Sligo in 1881. 

The lowest of the 20th or 21st century was -18.8 degrees at Lullymore, Co Kildare in 1979.

‘Very difficult’ conditions

The National Emergency Coordination Group urged road users to treat every road as treacherous in the context of widespread black ice, to only make essential journeys, to drive slowly and allow extra time for travel.

Cork County Council has reported “significant challenges” in north and north-west Cork due to compacted snow and ice.

Both the Defence Forces and external contractors have been dispatched in Cork to try to help efforts to deal with the weather impacts.

Keith Leonard, National Director of the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management, said the weather is going to be “bitterly cold right out until Friday afternoon” and conditions will remain “very difficult” across the country. 

He said an Orange warning means that people should be prepared and take account of the local conditions that they find themselves in.

Related Reads

Uisce Éireann warns of possible further disruption to supplies as extremely cold weather thaws

'A life and death situation': How homeless services are helping people survive the cold

'Idiotic': Drivers urged to 'take some responsibility' as dozens rescued from impassable Wicklow roads

This video of the road conditions on the N21 Castleisland to Abbeyfeale road shows the heavy snow falling and the poor driving conditions. #StaySafe pic.twitter.com/Ui4v7jbEAk

— Kerry County Council - Comhairle Contae Chiarraí (@countykerry) January 9, 2025

Keith Leonard of the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management said that the end of the extreme cold is in sight, but the public should still be vigilant when walking and driving, as surfaces can look “deceptively safe”.

“We are continuing to coordinate a cross-government response to ensure the most appropriate supports are happening at local level, and we remain particularly focused on getting those who are still without power or water reconnected as quickly as possible.,” he said.

There were fewer than 200 homes, farms and businesses without power as of lunchtime. That’s down from 59,000 on Sunday. The ESB says the remaining customers affected will have their power restored some time today.

Meanwhile, Uisce Éireann has said the “vast majority” of the 40,000 people whose supply was disrupted at the weekend now have their water back.

However, it said that as the extremely cold weather thaws, it could lead to an increase in bursts and leaks in the coming days. 

For Liam Galvin, Fine Gael Councillor for Abbeyfield, Co Limerick, conditions haven’t improved much over the last couple of days.

“The snow has gotten so hard, it’s just like concrete now. So the snow ploughs effectively aren’t doing their job,” he told RTÉ’s Claire Byrne Live.

“There are people that are still isolated … Even with the roads that have been ploughed, we still can’t access some private houses.

Meanwhile, homeless services have ramped up operations to try to help homeless people during the cold snap, which can be a “life and death situation”.  

Additional reporting by Lauren Boland.