Met Éireann issue another orange warning for tonight

Met Éireann have issued yet another Status Orange warning for Low Temperatures and Ice for 16 counties, including Westmeath, for tonight, Thursday December 15.

It will be an extremely cold night with a widespread severe frost, and freezing fog developing in some parts, mostly through the midlands.

Temperatures will fall to -5 widely, and touching as low as -8 in midland counties.

Patches of freezing fog will lead to hazardous driving conditions in places also.

The counties affected Carlow, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Longford, Meath, Offaly, Westmeath, Cavan, Monaghan, Clare, Cork, Limerick, Tipperary, Galway, Roscommon

The warning comes into effect from 6pm this evening until midday Friday.

On Friday morning any freezing fog will gradually clear inland parts. It will start mainly dry and bright with isolated showers in the west and northwest.

Showers will become heavier and more widespread over the western half of the country during the afternoon with the chance of a few isolated thunderstorms and small hail near northwest coasts.

The showers will fall as rain near the coast, turning more wintry later further inland. Very cold with afternoon highs at best inland ranging from 0 to +4 degrees, and a couple of degrees higher on the coast in light or moderate southwesterly winds.

After a cool start to the weekend, it will become much milder however, turning wet and blustery by Sunday before gradually becoming cooler and somewhat more settled through the course of next week.