Sleet and snow risk for north Westmeath

Friday has been a cool and clear day across Mullingar but there is a chance of some sleet, and even a slight dusting of snow, by morning.

Temperatures remained between 3-5 degrees Celsius all day. As night falls, it is likely to drop below freezing all across the midlands.

By morning however, as a low pressure system pushes up from the south, interacting with the cold air temperatures, there is a potential for 0-3 cms of snow in north Westmeath.

Climatologist and Midland Weather Channel’s, Cathal Nolan, explains that, depending on the location of the low pressure system, the sleet and snow could continue on and off throughout Saturday.

“The real risk this weekend is this low pressure system pushing up from the south. We could see anything between 30 - 40 mm of rain in the midlands. And possibly up to 50 mm in western areas.

“Again, while the (Met Éireann) Orange warning does not include Westmeath, the heavy rain forecast will fall in areas that feed into the Shannon water system.

"The flooding crisis in Athlone is by no means finished,” warned Cathal, who advised motorists to check their route for flood notifications and stay tuned to local media sources for updates.

The outlook for next week is for a continuation of the very unsettled and disturbed weather.