THE bitterly cold weather is expected to continue over the weekend, with the most severe mainly confined to the east and north.
The snow and strong easterly winds will linger into tomorrow, a spokesman for the Meteorological Service said yesterday. He added that the weather system affecting Ireland is originating in Siberia.
The Automobile Association warned that roads in many areas might be hazardous as snow showers and high winds were forecast. The AA spokesman, Mr Conor Faughnan, warned that roads in the mountain areas of Dublin and Wicklow are likely to be dangerous.
Mr Harry McAllister, of the AA in Northern Ireland, said last night that problems were largely confined to minor roads in the southern half of the North. He added that the sudden cold spell had caught some local authorities off guard and road salting had been delayed. Temperatures are expected to rise today.
Mr Eamon Hewitt, spokesman for Stena Line, said the catamaran service from, Dun Laoghaire had been unable to sail for four days because of difficulty in berthing at Holyhead. The conventional ferry had also been cancelled for two days for the same reason.
A spokeswoman for Irish Ferries said its new 23,000 tonne ferry, Isle of Inishfree, is large enough to cope with the current weather conditions.
Mr Cyril Ferris, for Iarnrod Eireann, said it was keeping watch on conditions but did not expect any disruption to services at the moment.
A spokesman for Bus Eireann said if the roads remained open, the buses would operate. He warned, however, that there mighty be delays.
Dublin Bus is not expecting problems, though there could be some difficulty with ice in elevated suburbs like Rathfarnham, according to its spokesman. South Dublin County Council workers were out last night gritting the main routes.
A spokeswoman for Aer Lingus, said it did not anticipate any problems.
In the south west, particularly in Cork and Kerry, weather conditions were sunny throughout yesterday, though temperatures were at or below freezing. All roads in the region were passable. The Met Service said snow Hurries could be expected in Munster today.
The Irish Wildbird Conservancy has appealed to householders to put out food for the birds to, help them survive the harsh weather.
In Britain, biting winds sent temperatures plunging to minus 17 degrees Celsius yesterday.
Snow and ice left many parts of the country shivering, with the worst affected being parts of south Wales. Some 600 homes in Mid Glamorgan and Gwent spent a third night without power as engineers battled in freezing conditions to restore supplies.