Ireland Weather: Met Eireann identifies areas that will be affected by snow in the next 48 hours when the winter blast hits

Many parts of the country could be affected by snow in the next two days as winter conditions hit the country.

Met Eireann forecasts that temperatures will drop to -3 ° C over the next five nights in sustained winter cold.

Daytime temperatures will also stay around 5 ° C or below, and people will be advised to wrap themselves if they leave the house.

Snow is expected in some parts of the country both today and Wednesday, and the southern half of the country is more likely to see significant falls tomorrow.

A forecaster from Met Eireann said: “Today is cold and stormy with sparkling spells and scattered showers, some with hail and risk of winter falls on high ground. Rains mainly in the western half of the country this morning, spreading east into the afternoon. Higher temperatures of 4 to 7 degrees in cool, gusty breezes from the northwest.

“Showers will retreat to the Atlantic coast counties early tonight with good clear periods. They will turn icy and icy early evening with temperatures lower than -3 to 0 degrees. Shortly after midnight, rain it will develop in the west coast counties and will spread east over the central and southern counties, turning to sleet and snow in some areas.

“An icy start for many on Wednesday. Rain, sleet and snow in the southern half of the country will clear to the southeast during the day with sparkling spells and scattered winter showers from the northwest.

“A very cold day with maximum temperatures generally between 1 and 4 degrees, but a little less cold in the southern coastal areas. The winds will be generally light or moderate, varying in direction but turning north at the end of the day.”

Wednesday night will see the rains confined to the western half of the country, the forecaster added: “Spells clear and winter rains overnight, rains mainly limited to the western and northern coastal counties. Widespread frost and ice with low temperatures of -3 to +2 degrees in cool northwest winds. “

And current indications show no signs that the blast of cold that will last through the weekend at the earliest has subsided.