Cold and frosty weather accompanies the start of winter bills

IT STARTED off cold and frosty yesterday — like a bank manager’s debt reminder.

By unhappy coincidence the weather mirrored Blue Monday, the “worst day of the year” associated with the flood of bills after the Christmas splurge.

Lethal black ice, snow, sleet, rain and bitter winds marked an inauspicious start to the week.

Surely payback time for the unseasonally benign weather we had recently enjoyed? Actually, no.

Met Éireann people, who understand the scientific reasons, said the vagaries were “typical” for the time of year.

We have entered “quieter” weather. And after the recent disturbed, stormy and warmer spell the net effect is that it has become much colder.

Forecaster Joan Blackburn summed up: “It’s wintertime, and in wintertime you can expect winter storms — as we had last week — and you can also expect very cold frosty conditions.”

High pressure to the west of the country caused the temperatures to dip.

While the winds are still with us they are not sufficient to prevent a major fall in temperature. But as they ease, they will give way to widespread sharp frost.

For the next few nights it will be decidedly chilly — falling to minus two to minus three, said Ms Blackburn.

High pressure is not yet over us — and just as well. Otherwise, we’d have the “viciously cold” temperatures plummeting to minus five or six.

“People will have to watch out on the roads. Certainly there’s going to be the frost there,” Ms Blackburn advised.

Today will be another very cold day. Most parts will dry with sunny spells, but rain or sleet will later spread southwards. This will be the pattern for the next couple of days.

Heavy snow is still gripping the Sally Gap in Co Wicklow and the AA stress the route should be avoided.