BREAKING: Met Eireann issues status orange warning for most of Ireland as cold snap continues

Met Eireann has issued status orange low temperature/ice warnings for most of the country for the next two nights as the temperatures are set to plummet to as low as -8 in places.

The national forecaster says conditions will be "extremely cold with widespread severe frost, ice and lying snow" and that caution should be exercised.

The first of the status orange warnings will come into effect at 8pm this Tuesday and will remain valid until 10am on Wednesday.

It applies to Carlow, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Longford, Meath, Offaly, Westmeath, Wicklow, Cavan, Monaghan as well as all of Munster and all of Connacht. 

Potential impacts, according to Met Eireann include: dangerous travelling conditions on roads and underfoot, travel disruption and delays, animal welfare issues.

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The second warning, which has also been issued this Tuesday morning, will be valid from 8pm on Wednesday until 11am on Thursday.

As of now, it applies to every county in Ireland except Donegal.

Local authority crews across the country have been placed on standby and motorists are being urged not to make any unnecessary journeys while the status orange warnings are in place.