Met Éireann issues yellow warning for nationwide snow and ice

Met Éireann is forecasting icy and hazardous conditions with falls of "hail, sleet and snow". Picture: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire

A nationwide snow and ice warning has been issued by Met Éireann.

The yellow warning will come into effect at 6pm on Saturday and remain in place until 12pm on Sunday.

The forecaster is predicting icy and hazardous conditions, with falls of hail sleet and snow.

A status yellow snow/ice warning is currently in place for Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim, Mayo, Monaghan, Roscommon and Sligo.

It will last until 12pm on Saturday.

Director of Consumer Affairs at the AA, Conor Faughnan, says there are a number of precautions people can take.

"We are likely to have frost and ice in many counties countrywide, particularly on secondary roads," Mr Faughnan said.

"That's very dangerous, so we would implore motorists to recognise how dangerous conditions are and reduce the speed.

"The single most important safety component in a modern car is the driver's right foot." 

Please reduce speed on what is likely to be a dangerous night and a dangerous morning."

In the North, a similar warning has been issued for Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Tyrone, and Derry.

The Met Office's yellow alert for snow/ice is in place from 4pm on Friday, until 10.30am on Saturday.

On Tuesday, Met Éireann issued a weather advisory for the latter half of the week and into the weekend. Pcture: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire

Earlier, it was forecast that Ireland is set for a bitterly cold weekend with temperatures set to plummet to -4 in parts tonight.

The remainder of the weekend will be cold with showers of sleet and snow.

On Tuesday, Met Éireann issued a weather advisory for the latter half of the week and into the weekend.

They said there's a "risk of frost and icy conditions, with falls of sleet or snow at times."

Alan O'Reilly from Carlow Weather says people will be waking up to snow on Sunday.

"Down to -4 tonight and a very cold day ahead again tomorrow," he said.

"A band of sleet and snow crossing the country tomorrow night, with many people waking to a nice covering of light snow on Sunday.

"Just a dusting in some areas but certainly a snow covering for many on Sunday morning with another bitterly cold day ahead."