Ireland has been engulfed in a bitterly cold Arctic blast over recent days - but an end is now in sight.
The cold weather is expected to continue through the weekend with sleet, snow and freezing temperatures leading to widespread frost and icy surfaces that could make travelling hazardous.
Met Eireann issued a new weather warning on Friday morning for 15 counties - Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Roscommon, Sligo, Cavan, Donegal, Monaghan, Kildare, Laois, Longford, Louth, Meath, Offaly and Westmeath.
The Status Yellow alert for ice begins at 7pm on Friday and lasts until 10am Saturday. It reads: “Freezing temperatures, widespread frost, and icy surfaces, leading to hazardous travelling conditions.”
The national forecaster has pinpointed Saturday night as the date temperatures will start becoming milder.
Thermometers could reach as high as 13C on Monday - marking a major 18C temperatures swing from the -5C forecast for tonight.
There is more good weather news as Met Eireann has forecast normal or above average temperatures right through until the end of the month.
It said: “Low pressure in the Atlantic will continue to feed rain and showers across Ireland for the rest of next week with conditions generally remaining mild.”
The meteorological service confirmed that areas in the south of the country will see the warmest weather next week.
Looking further ahead, it said the week of St Patrick’s Day - March 17 to 23 - will see “around normal temperatures”.
Its monthly forecast reads: “In the second week pressure will be slightly lower than normal for the time of year with around normal temperatures expected. It is expected to be slightly wetter than usual for the time of year.”
For the week of March 24 to March 30, it continued: “Currently it is expected that pressure will build for the third week. As a consequence it will be drier and temperatures are also expected to be slightly higher than usual for the time of year.”
Its forecast for the start of April - March 31 to April 6 - reads: “Although pressure is expected to fall again during the final week of the month ahead temperatures are expected to remain on the slightly higher side, with showers on coasts making rainfall amounts on coasts higher than typical for the time of year.”
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