Big freeze set to spread across country

MORE wintry showers are predicted for large parts of Ireland today after heavy frost caused major disruption on roads across the country yesterday.

Severe weather conditions across Britain, Europe and the US also led to some lengthy delays to flights at Dublin Airport.

Disruption to travel plans could continue today as the cold snap is expected to last for the remainder of Christmas week.

AA Roadwatch has warned that many roads will remain icy into the late morning as temperatures will struggle to rise much above zero.

Met Éireann are predicting wintry showers of sleet and snow today in Ulster and Connacht spreading into west Munster and north Leinster.

Temperatures will again only reach as high as 1°-4°C, although it will not feel as cold as yesterday due to lighter winds.

However, it will become extremely cold tonight in most parts with severe frost and icy stretches including patches of freezing fog in some areas.

Icy roads were reported in many parts of the midlands and Co Wicklow, yesterday while treacherous conditions were also reported between Drimoleague and Bantry and the old Cork road between Rathcormack and Mitchelstown.

In the North heavy falls of snow were reported with drifts of 200mm in some places.

Gardaí are also advising motorists to avoid the Wicklow and Sally Gaps and to take care around Glencree, Co Wicklow. Last night the Killakee Road was impassable at Kippure on the approach to the Wicklow Gap with some vehicles reported to be stuck in the snow.

Meanwhile, the Dublin Airport Authority is advising passengers to check details of their flights with the DAA or their airlines before setting off for the airport, although it is hoped that schedules will operate as normal today.

Some air travellers using Dublin Airport faced disruption yesterday with one Continental Airways flight from Newark delayed by seven hours, while several Aer Lingus and Ryanair flights also faced delays of more than five hours.

There were delays of up to two hours at Cork Airport on flights to and from Amsterdam and Paris.

Met Éireann are remaining tight-lipped about the likelihood of a White Christmas.

“Christmas Day will be sub-zero at night, so anywhere could get a snow shower,” said a Met Éireann spokesperson.

Bookmakers Paddy Power are offering odds of 7/4 that at least one millimetre of snow will fall at Dublin Airport on December 25.