'Cold and frosty' weekend ahead with hail, sleet and snow in latest Met Eireann forecast

Met Éireann are forecasting a frosty and cold weekend with temperatures set to drop to -2 degrees overnight with scattered showers of hail, sleet and snow on the horizon.

Ireland's cold snap looks set to continue with freezing temperatures and the possibility of more sleet and snow on the way. 

Status Yellow rain warnings for Dublin, Louth, Meath and Wicklow expired at 3am, while a nationwide Status Yellow ice warning expired at 9am this Saturday morning.

Friday's sleet and slow led to treacherous travelling conditions leading to school closures and long delays for motorists across the country.

According to the national forecaster, today will be frosty with some icy stretches. There will be sunny spells and scattered showers today. The showers will mainly be of rain but a few may fall as hail, sleet or snow. Fresh to strong and gusty northerly winds will develop in the southwest, west and northwest but will be light to moderate in other areas. 

Tonight will be cold and frosty with some icy stretches developing, as temperatures fall to between -2 and +3 degrees. There will be a mix of clear spells and scattered showers with most of this rain but a few hail, sleet or snow showers are possible.

Sunday, March 3

Sunday morning will be cold with some icy stretches. There will be sunny spells and scattered showers of rain or hail at first but they will become more isolated later. Highest temperatures of 7 to 10 degrees with a light to moderate west to northwest wind.

Temperatures will fall quickly after dark on Sunday night under clear skies. Frost and icy patches will develop, with lows of -1 to +2 degrees. Most areas will be dry but cloud will increase across the south and west, with outbreaks of rain or drizzle developing in Munster by morning. Light to moderate south to southeast winds.

Monday, March 4

Mostly cloudy with outbreaks of rain in the morning. Some drier and brighter periods will develop in the afternoon. Breezy with moderate to fresh and gusty south to southeast winds, with gales near southwestern coasts. Highest temperatures of 7 to 10 degrees.

Outbreaks of rain will continue in some areas early on Monday night but by morning most places will be dry. Lowest temperatures of -1 to +5 degrees in a moderate to fresh and variable wind, becoming lighter overnight.

Tuesday, March 5

Mostly dry with sunny spells on Tuesday morning but some showers will develop in the south. Highest temperatures of 9 to 12 degrees with light to moderate southwesterly winds, becoming southeasterly.

There will be some showers in the south and east on Tuesday night but other areas will be dry and partly cloudy. Lowest temperatures of 2 to 8 degrees, coldest in the northeast, with a moderate southeasterly wind.