Met Éireann forecasts more snow for Ireland at the weekend amid cold snap

Ireland is bracing for more snow showers over the weekend amid a series of weather warnings from Met Éireann. 

Forecasters at Met Éireann has issued snow-ice warnings for the entire country and though they will lapse in all counties by 9am on Saturday morning, further showers of wintry precipitation are predicted over the weekend.

The warnings say "a band of rain will continue to move southwards, turning to sleet and snow in places" on Friday afternoon and evening while it adds that it will be "cold tonight with ice on untreated surfaces leading to hazardous travelling conditions."

In its further outlook for the coming days, Met Éireann says "lingering rain and sleet in eastern counties will become patchy and gradually clear [on Friday night]. Elsewhere will be dry with clear spells at first but scattered showers will spread from the north later, some heavy with a chance of hail and sleet in the northwest. Frost and icy stretches developing with lowest temperatures of -1 to +3 degrees. Moderate to fresh northerly winds, strong on western and northern coasts."

They add that "frost and ice will slowly clear" on Saturday morning and that "there will be a mix of sunny spells and showers through the day, some heavy. Showers will mainly be of rain but a few will possibly fall as hail, sleet and snow in the west and north. Afternoon highs of 5 to 8 degrees. Moderate to fresh northerly winds, strong and gusty in west Connacht and west Munster at times."

The forecast continues: "Showers will become more isolated on Saturday night and long clear spells will develop. Winds will back northwest and fall light to moderate with temperatures dipping to between -2 to +3 degrees. Frost and icy patches are possible.

"A bright day on Sunday with sunny spells and scattered showers, becoming isolated towards evening. Top temperatures of 7 to 9 degrees. Light to moderate westerly winds will gradually back southwest by evening and reduce light. Temperatures will fall quickly after dark on Sunday night under clear skies with frost and icy patches developing, and lows of -2 to +2 degrees. Cloud will thicken from the southwest overnight and temperatures will rise as winds back southeast. Outbreaks of rain will develop in Munster by morning.

"Mostly cloudy with outbreaks of rain, heaviest and most persistent in the southern counties [on Monday]. Moderate to fresh and gusty easterly winds. Highs of 6 to 8 degrees. Further outbreaks of rain though Monday night, with some heavy falls, with sleet possible on high ground. Light to moderate variable winds inland will be fresh and gusty near some coasts. Lows of 2 to 5 degrees."

They say that "current indications suggest rain will gradually clear northeastwards through the day [on Tuesday] with sunny spells developing. Highs of 7 to 10 degrees. Light to moderate westerly winds backing southerly later."

Beyond that, Met Éireann says: "Current indications suggest our weather will remain fairly mixed but relatively mild through midweek next week."