Ireland is set for another bitterly cold day, with temperatures set to fall well below freezing and Met Eireann warning of “sharp to severe frost and icy stretches”
08:26, 04 Jan 2026Updated 08:54, 04 Jan 2026
The Ha’penny bridge covered in snow and ice in Dublin City, Ireland – stock photo(Image: David Soanes/Getty Images)
Ireland is waking up to bitterly cold conditions this morning after temperatures plunged as low as -6.8C overnight.
A number of status yellow weather warnings are in place for the entire country amid a sharp cold snap
On Friday, Met Eireann issued a series of overlapping weather warnings for snow, frost and ice, with the national forecaster warning of hazardous travel conditions and poor visibility, particularly overnight and during the early hours of Sunday morning.
A status yellow low temperature and ice warning came into effect at 6pm for Munster, Carlow, Dublin, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Longford, Meath, Offaly, Westmeath, Wexford and Wicklow. The weather alert will remain in place until 11am this morning, with temperatures are forecast to fall to between -2C and -4C, bringing sharp or severe frost and widespread icy stretches.
A separate status yellow snow and ice warning is in place over the same period for Connacht, Cavan, Donegal, Monaghan and Louth, with Met Eireann warning that wintry showers, snow accumulations and icy conditions will create difficult travel conditions and poor visibility.
Ireland is waking up to a chilly one(Image: Getty)
Meanwhile a status yellow low temperature/ice warning will come into effect at 6pm on Sunday for Carlow, Dublin, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Longford, Meath, Offaly, Westmeath, Wexford, Wicklow, Munster. The weather alert will remain in place until 11am on Monday morning, with expected to fall to between -2C and -4C degrees in many areas.
Parts of the country were blanketed in snow overnight, with temperatures falling as low as -6.8C in some areas overnight.
According to Alan O’Reilly, the hobbyist meteorologist who runs the popular Carlow Weather social media pages, the thermometer dropped
down to -6.5c at Dunmanway in Cork as he warned that there will be “a sharp frost for most” this morning.
“Snow showers continue in Northern areas with lying snow in parts of Ulster,” he said.
“Showers will increase today with few more making it further South.”
According to Met Eireann’s latest forecast, today (Sunday) will be cold with frost, ice and fog or freezing fog patches slow to clear. It will be dry and sunny in the southeast but scattered wintry showers will affect the rest of the country.
Rain will arrive into the southwest later this afternoon, possibly turning to sleet or snow over higher ground, with highest temperatures of 1C to 5C degrees in light to moderate westerly winds.
The national forecaster has warned that it will be “very cold” on Sunday evening “with a sharp to severe frost and icy stretches.
Scattered wintry showers will continue, most frequent in the north and west, with some snow accumulations. Patches of fog or freezing fog may form too with temperatures of -4C to 0C expected in light to moderate northwesterly winds.
Met Eireann has warned that we are in for another bitterly cold day, with temperatures plummet well below freezing(Image: Brian Lawless/PA Wire)
Monday will be another bitterly cold day with frost, ice and fog or freezing fog patches slow to clear. It’ll be a dry and sunny day for most areas, although a few wintry showers will affect the north and northwest, with highest temperatures of 1C to 5C in light to moderate northwest to west winds.
Showers will spread eastwards across the country early on in Monday night, clearing to leave dry and clear conditions before cloud builds from the west later. The cold snap will continue into Monday night, with lowest temperatures of -3C to 1C with frost and icy stretches forming early on, in light to moderate southwest winds.
Met Eireann has said the weather will to turn more unsettled during the week as low pressure takes charge, with rain spreading from the Atlantic.
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