Many areas set for cold spell as -4 degrees expected tonight

The weather is set to change dramatically over the coming days, with the May Bank Holiday only a few days away many areas will be hit by an unseasonable cold spell.

Met Éireann said the outlook is for unsettled and changeable weather, with much colder conditions than recent days.

The agency is warning that temperatures are expected to plummet to minus four degrees tonight with some frost expected.

Meteorologist Gerry Murphy of Met Éireann said shifting winds explain the sudden change.

"The past week, the winds came mainly from the continent and from the east, where it is warmer at the moment, so we got a noticeably warm week.

"This week, our winds are coming predominantly from the north, which is a colder air source. Consequently, it is going to be much cooler."