Snow update for Ireland with Arctic cold blast 'coming like a lion', warns expert

Ireland is bracing for a fresh blast of Arctic weather this week with forecasters at Met Éireann and elsewhere predicting wintry precipitation for the start of March.

Alan O'Reilly from Carlow Weather posted an update over the weekend with an icy looking weather model including the caption: "March, coming in like a lion."

The chart shows subzero temperatures making their way to Ireland and Met Éireann agrees and has made a frosty prediction of its own.

Their general outlook says our weather is going to remain "unsettled with colder conditions later this week and lasting into the weekend." Temperatures could dip to -2 or even -3 by the end of the working week.

In their forecast, they said Monday night would be "mostly dry and clear at first tonight with light southwest breezes. Some frost will set in with lows of -1 to 4 degrees. Later in the night, increasing cloud will bring rain, drizzle and mist to the west and north with a rise in temperatures."

They add that it will be "damp and misty to begin on Tuesday, with outbreaks of rain and drizzle extending southeastwards over the country during the morning.

"A clearance to sunny spells and just well scattered showers will quickly follow from the northwest by early afternoon. Highs of 7 to 11 degrees with moderate to fresh southwest winds veering northwest with the clearance. Winds will moderate through the afternoon, backing southwest and easing in the evening.

"Mostly dry and clear with light southwest breezes [on Tuesday night]. Some frost will set in with lows of 0 to 4 degrees. Some mist patches too, and later in the night increasing cloud will bring some patchy rain to the far west and southwest."

They foresee "bright spells to begin in parts of the east and north [on Wednesday]. However, outbreaks of rain and drizzle, in the west and southwest, will extend countrywide through the morning and afternoon. Overall, turning dull with hill, mist and coastal fog. Humid with highs of 9 to 11 degrees, in moderate to fresh south to southwesterly winds.

"Wet and rather blustery with spot flooding in places and moderate or fresh and gusty west to southwest winds [on Wednesday night], stronger near the coast. Lowest temperatures of 2 to 6 degrees as the rain clears into the Irish Sea by morning.

"A cooler day [Thursday] as a change of airmass sets in. The last of any overnight cloud or rain will give way to sunny spells and blustery showers, some turning wintry with some hail. Some sleet over high ground too. Highs of 5 to 8 degrees with an added wind chill factor owing to fresh and gusty westerly winds."

In their outlook for Thursday night and Friday, Met Éireann continues: "Cold and wintry with widespread squally showers feeding in due to brisk northwesterly winds, some hail, sleet and hill snow likely. There will be an on-going wind-chill factor.

"Remaining cold and unsettled over the weekend, though not as windy. Some good sunshine with frost setting in by night. Wintry showers in places too, but not quite as widespread. Daytime temperatures of 6 to 8 degrees," the latest forecast concludes.