TREACHEROUS ROAD conditions including black ice are likely to continue for many parts of the country as a severe frost resumes tonight. Last night saw a relative respite from the extreme cold though it was freezing in many places.
Tonight temperatures are forecast to fall to minus 8 in the midlands and east. An unofficial December low of minus 16.9C was recorded at Mount Juliet station in Co Kilkenny on Thursday night/Friday morning and Casement Aerodrome recorded its lowest ever December temperature of minus 12.9.
The weight of snow is such that yesterday morning Casement Aerodrome outside Dublin recorded 21cms (more than eight inches) at its weather station, the most for 30 years.
Day time temperatures just above freezing with hard frosts at night are likely until next weekend, Met Éireann head of forecasting Gerald Fleming has warned.
Temperatures in the midlands will not rise above freezing today and will be only 1 degree in Dublin.
“We don’t really see any significant thaw for the midlands, east or south-east until about this time next week when the temperatures should by and large get above freezing,” he said.
Mr Fleming warned of the dangers of freezing rain where it hits the ground and freezes immediately, creating black ice. He said such conditions would be most prevalent in the southwest.
There will be “patchy” falls of snow this week though not on the scale of this week.
National Director of Fire and Emergency Planning Sean Hogan said he anticipated conditions next week will be more similar to those that prevailed in January when ice and severe cold were the problem rather than snow.
He said such conditions will make it particularly difficult for elderly people to get out and about and he reiterated his call for the public to check on elderly relatives and friends.
A national helpline set up by Muintir na Tíre received in excess of 1,000 calls since Monday from people in rural areas who are affected by the cold snap.
The Irish Red Cross volunteers have laid on 4x4 ambulances to deliver medicines to those who need them in conjunction with the Unicare pharmacy chain.
The Defence Forces have been involved in ensuring that essential medical personnel get to hospitals.
The HSE’s assistant national director of emergency planning Gavin Maguire said they have had some cancellations of non-essential operations, but all essential activities are continuing.
“There are many hospitals where key staff are spending the night in the hospital to ensure that they can be there the next day,” he said.
He said many staff were working unofficial overtime to cover for those who could not make it into work.
All the State’s airports operated yesterday though there was delays on some flights.
Bus Éireann said only 5 per cent of its 330 services were cancelled yesterday, including the Dublin to Rosslare route, while Dublin bus said all but two of its 140 routes were operating. Both hoped to continue a similar level of service today though the Nitelink bus service will not be running.
A spokeswoman for the Luas said a safety device on the trams which detects obstacles had to be altered as it was being triggered by accumulations of snow along the tracks.
The Luas line to The Point remained open last night for the Childline concert at the O2. The concert usually raises about €400,000 for the charity.
One of its stars hip hop artists Jason Derulo drove from Shannon airport to be at rehearsals yesterday afternoon after his flight was diverted from Dublin airport.