Bitter winds give latest cold spell chill factor

WEATHER:RECORD LOW temperatures for November are likely to fall further today and tonight as easterly winds add a chill factor which is expected to combine with more falls of snow, particularly in counties Louth, east Meath, Dublin and Wicklow.

Met Éireann has said there is no sign of a thaw in the icy conditions in the coming week and warned of snowfalls of up to 25cm on higher ground in Co Wicklow while up to 20cm could fall in counties Louth and Dublin by tonight.

Met Éireann said the severity of the anticipated snowfalls could be judged by the fact that just two to three centimetres of snow lay on the ground in Dublin yesterday.

Snowfalls are expected to move inland today as well as hitting Waterford and the south coast as the day continues. Scattered snow showers are predicted for the midlands but areas of east Ulster and north and south Connacht are expected to face heavy falls. Met Éireann forecaster Siobhán Ryan said the dry and bright conditions would be gradually replaced by very cold winds with falls of snow almost everywhere.

A number of local authorities, including Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown and Wicklow, have warned they expect major damage to the water supply network after the cold spell, and have asked householders not to leave taps running overnight, as happened in freezing conditions earlier this year.

The Defence Forces will continue to be deployed to assist the Irish Hospice Foundation in caring for their patients, many of whom are cared for in their own homes with the support of nurses from the hospices.

The Defence Forces are also helping Meals on Wheels and a spokesman said it expects to respond to further calls over the coming days.

Eircom said staff will continue to try to reconnect about 2,400 customers whose telephone and broadband services were cut off during lightning storms which accompanied some of the weekend snowfalls. But Eircom said worsening weather may exacerbate the number of faults. The ESB said about 15 homes had been affected by lightning in the Dundalk area while power went out in parts of Castlebar for about 30 minutes yesterday.

Dublin City Council expects to have about 500 staff on duty from early morning clearing paths to train stations and along major thoroughfares. The council is also spreading salt on key national roads and strategic routes throughout the city. It is working closely with Dublin Bus which is updating its website with details of affected services.

A Dublin Bus spokeswoman said some services into suburban housing estates may need to be curtailed and advised intending passengers to check its website before starting their journey. Bus Éireann also updates its website on an ongoing basis.

The Department of Education said it had not issued any instruction on school closures. The department said such closures were “a matter for individual boards of management to decide”.

The National Roads Authority has confirmed adequate salt stocks are in place nationally and are being distributed as required to local authorities.

The most critical roads within the road network are being treated on a daily basis. These roads account for almost 60 per cent of all traffic.

Iarnród Éireann and Luas services are expected to be fully operational.

Airports and sea ports were operational yesterday but passengers are advised to check with their airline or ferry service provider directly.

Dublin Bus: dublinbus.ie

Bus Éireann: buseireann.ie