Weather: Snowfall expected in Munster as fresh warning issued
Hazards, Until A Place In Warned Remains Ice, Frost, Advisory Of Saturday As The Cold Including Sleet, And Wintry Weather Forecaster
Munster is set to be hit with snow this week as Met Éireann has issued a weather warning for the province — one of three to be issued this week.
The forecaster warned of wintry hazards, including sleet, frost, and ice, as a cold-weather advisory remains in place until Saturday.
A status yellow snow and ice warning for Munster will come into effect at 8pm on Wednesday and remain in place until 10am on Thursday.
Met Éireann said "snowfall accumulations" are expected leading to poor visibility and dangerous travelling conditions.
Meanwhile, two nationwide status yellow low temperature and ice warnings are also in place.
The first warning will be in effect from 8pm Tuesday to 10am Wednesday. The second will be in place from 8pm Wednesday to 10am Thursday.
Met Éireann predicts "very cold" weather during this spell, "with widespread frost and icy stretches" causing hazardous travel conditions.
Tuesday will see outbreaks of rain, sleet, and snow moving south in the morning, followed by sunny spells and scattered wintry showers in the north.
Highs of 2C to 8C are expected, with Tuesday night bringing lows of -3C to 1C and icy patches.
Wednesday will be cold and mainly dry, with frost clearing but lingering in some sheltered areas. Lows of -3C to 1C are expected overnight.
Thursday’s frost and ice will be "slow to thaw," with scattered showers of rain, hail, sleet, and snow affecting the west and north. Overnight lows will range from -2C to 2C.
Friday will remain cold and dry, with highs of 2C to 6C. Persistent or heavy rain may turn to sleet or snow later.
Looking ahead, Saturday will stay windy with rain or showers, while winds are expected to ease on Sunday.
Ahead of the predicted cold snap, Cork Airport has deployed its snow and ice team, who will remain on-call to treat and clear any accumulations of ice or snow. The team will be on call 24-7 over the coming days to treat runways, surfaces in airport car parks, footpaths and areas outside of terminals.
Cork Airport Fire Service will also undertake patrols to monitor the condition of the taxiways, the main airport runway 16/34 and landside road surfaces. Plans for the de-icing of aircraft, if necessary, are also in place.
“Airport activities change in the seasons and whereas in summer, our maintenance colleagues must focus on areas like grass management and campus improvements, over the winter, the focus turns to operational readiness for snow and ice events," said Cork Airport Managing Director Niall McCarthy.
"We have a great maintenance team supported by a substantial fleet of specialist equipment and our maintenance colleagues, led by Eamon O’Donovan, Jonathan Murphy working alongside our airport engineer, Brian Culloty, will do their utmost to ensure everyone gets away and home safely as we enter the busy Christmas season."
Passengers due to travel through the airport over the next few days have been advised to consult the Cork Airport website for the latest flight updates and to exercise caution at the airport, particularly in the early mornings, when road surfaces may be slippery.
Check out the Irish Examiner's WEATHER CENTRE for regularly updated short and long range forecasts wherever you are.