Snow and sleet showers are set to batter the country tonight as Ireland braces for a brutal cold snap which will see temperatures freeze.
Met Eireann warned everybody would experience the chilly conditions but said those living in the southwest in counties such as Kerry and Cork would feel the brunt of it.
A yellow weather warning for the entire country came into effect tonight and is expected to remain in place until 10 am on Tuesday.
READ NEXT: Ireland weather: 'Messy week' ahead with heavy snowfall confirmed and warnings in effect
Ice is expected to blanket Ireland on Tuesday morning with weather bosses saying there will be “hazardous conditions" due to freezing temperatures including "icy stretches on roads and paths.”
They also expected “sleet or snow flurries in Munster” tonight.
It comes as the Road Safety Authority has urged drivers to prepare for the treacherous conditions and said people should be ready for the dramatic shift in weather expected this week.
They said motorists should not use hot water on their frozen windscreen as it could crack the glass.
The RSA also called on those driving to slow down, use all controls delicately and leave extra distance between you and the vehicle in front while also avoiding over steering and harsh braking, and harsh acceleration.
Met Eireann forecaster Aoife Keeley told The Irish Mirror: “The big thing for the next few days is the cold weather developing.
“A cold front is moving down across the country. On Tuesday, there will be rain lingering in the southwest but a colder, drier air mass will move in across the country.
“There will be a cold and frosty start on Tuesday with some ice in places and quite hazardous conditions in parts of the southwest where there will be sleet and snow flurries.”
The meteorologist said temperatures will range between 3C and 6C during the day but will plummet below freezing overnight.
Tomorrow night there is expected to be a mix of rain and sleet that will batter the country.
She added: “There will be air coming down from the north and it is going to have that added wind chill factor meaning it will feel colder than it actually is.
“As we move through Wednesday and into Thursday that colder weather is staying with us.
“Because temperatures will freeze overnight, there will be widespread ice and frost each morning.”
The meteorologist stressed that it was too early to determine how long the cold snap would last and said it becomes more uncertain from Wednesday night.
She noted that while the bitterly cold temperatures expected this week weren’t the norm they also weren’t unusual.
The forecaster: “We’re very early into the meteorological spring so the weather is starting to transition from the winter into the spring. It’s not unusual as such to get a colder week in March.”
In 2018, Ireland and the UK were blanketed by heavy snow after what has become known as the Beast from the East - but Met Eireann doesn’t believe a repeat of that is likely this week.
Meanwhile, bookmakers Ladbrokes have slashed odds for snow on St Patrick’s Day down to 5/1 and 13/8 to be named the coldest March on record.
Nicola McGeady of Ladbrokes said: March has got off to a miserable start as far as the weather is concerned and if the latest odds are anything to go by, it’s about to get a whole lot worse as we have been experiencing a flurry of bets on snow for St. Patrick’s Day as well as for record low temperatures this month!"
READ NEXT:
Warning to Irish TK Maxx customers after product recalled due 'toxic chemical'
Social welfare Ireland: Call for pay-related benefits for workers due to 'exceptionally weak' system
Teen chicken farmer flabbergasted as hen lays Ireland's largest egg - 'I've never seen one so big'
Prince Harry says psychedelic drugs helped him 'deal with traumas and pains of the past'
Get breaking news to your inbox by signing up to our newsletter
