Snow and ice warning in place for most of country on Saturday

A number of yellow weather warnings are in place across the country this weekend, with up to 5cm of snow forecast for some areas.

A yellow snow and ice warning has been issued for Connacht, Leinster, Cavan, Monaghan and Donegal from 2am until noon on Saturday.

A yellow wind warning is in place for Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Sligo, Clare, Cork, Kerry and Waterford until 9am on Saturday. In addition, a rainfall warning for Cork, Kerry and Waterford has been issued until noon on Saturday, with 30mm-40mm of rainfall expected.

A separate yellow wind warning is also in place for Dublin, Louth, Wexford, Wicklow, Meath, Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Sligo, Clare, Cork, Kerry, Limerick and Waterford between 6am and 6pm on Sunday.

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Met Éireann said there would be sleet and snow in the north and east for a time on Saturday morning with further accumulations bringing some disruption, outbreaks of rain and drizzle elsewhere. Sleet and snow will become confined to northeast Ulster by the afternoon.

Highest temperatures will be between 1 and 4 degrees in the north and east, 6-10 degrees in the south and west.

There will be scattered outbreaks of rain with heavy falls at times in south Munster overnight with temperatures continuing to rise, ranging to between 7 and 11 degrees by dawn on Sunday.

Sunday is set to be a wet and very windy day with spells of heavy rain and gale force southerly winds with a risk of flooding in the south.

Highest temperatures will be between 10 and 13 degrees with rain clearing northeastwards by the evening and scattered outbreaks of rain returning for the overnight period.

Lowest temperatures will be between 6 to 9 degrees in fresh southerly winds.

Monday will be mild and breezy with patchy rain clearing during the morning to leave plenty of dry weather and sunny spells. Highest temperatures will be between 10 and 13 degrees in moderate southerly breezes. Outbreaks of rain will move in overnight with fresh southerly winds with lowest temperatures between 7 and 9 degrees.