Winter to bite hard as ice, frost and snow forecast; severe flooding disruption as two counties hit with last-minute rain warning

"Met Éireann issued a Status Yellow low temperature and ice alert for the entire country as freezing weather from Scandinavia and the Arctic sweeps over Ireland. Atlantic weather fronts that brought near-record levels of rainfall and milder temperatures since the start of the year will be replaced by colder weather from the north. The Yellow ice alert will come into force at 9pm on Friday and will remain in place until 10am on Saturday."

"Meanwhile, forecasters issued a Status Yellow rainfall warning for Dublin and Wicklow overnight. The warning was issued at 2.30am and will remain in place until midday on Friday. As a result of the heavy rain, parts of Dublin and Wicklow are experiencing severe flooding again this morning. Dublin Airport have advised people that some roads leading to the airport are closed, and to leave plenty of time to arrive for their flights."

"Gardaí and the Road Safety Authority (RSA) urged people to drive with care over the weekend given potentially challenging driving conditions. There are concerns that the combination of waterlogged roads from recent rainfall could prove hazardous when combined with colder temperatures. Motorists have been warned to expect frost, ice, sleet and possibly snow over the next 72 hours, with the possibility of travel disruption."

Temperatures could fall as low as -5C in some areas as Met Éireann issued a Status Yellow low temperature and ice alert for the entire country. Freezing weather from Scandinavia and the Arctic will replace recent milder Atlantic conditions. The Yellow ice alert runs from 9pm Friday to 10am Saturday, and further alerts are possible with a second cold snap forecast for Tuesday. A Status Yellow rainfall warning for Dublin and Wicklow remains in place until midday Friday after heavy rain that has caused severe flooding and closed some roads to Dublin Airport. Gardaí and the RSA warned of hazardous driving due to waterlogged roads, frost, ice, sleet and possible snow over the next 72 hours. Homeless charities have arranged extra emergency shelter capacity.

Read at Irish Independent