Wintry conditions will continue in Northern Ireland until the weekend, before milder and wetter weather sweeps in to create a temporary reprieve, the Met Office has said.
As the cold weather continues this week, the forecaster has issued an update on when we can expect to see changing conditions.
A yellow weather warning for ice is currently in place for parts of Northern Ireland until 12 noon on Wednesday, with showers of sleet and snow expected to bring the risk of some slippery surfaces.
Read more: NI Cold Weather Payments extended as freezing temperatures continue
The UK will remain cold through this week with the risk of sleet and snow at times continuing, across northern and eastern locations.
Paul Gundersen, a Met Office Chief Forecaster, said: “Over the last week, the UK has been held in a northerly airflow bringing cold, sometimes Arctic air, to the UK.
“We will still have this northerly influence to our weather patterns until the weekend, but then the cold conditions will lose exclusive dominance over the UK’s weather patterns and we will move into a regime where relatively mild and relatively cold conditions will vie for supremacy.
“We can expect changeable conditions with colder and milder air not too far away from our shores, but it does seem that the Atlantic ‘has woken up’ compared with recent days and will be a stronger influence, countering any further bouts of extreme cold conditions, although spells of further wintry weather remain possible through the rest of December.”
But until this weekend’s transition, wintry hazards will continue especially in northern and eastern coastal areas while overnight frosts will be severe in places with some freezing fog patches.
The cold air from the Arctic is also bringing brighter conditions for many, with some dry and sunny weather, particularly away from coasts.
Although these temperatures aren’t exceptional for winter in the UK, forecasters say it is the most significant and widespread spell of cold conditions since February 2021.
Met Office Deputy Chief Forecaster, Steven Keates added: “The boundary between the two air masses will create a window for snowfall over the weekend. This is likely to be transient in nature as the mild wet air from the west will ‘bump’ into the colder air, before displacing it further east.
“This potential spell of snow will lead to some temporary disruption before the snow quickly turns to rain. While the freezing conditions remain, drivers especially are reminded that freezing fog, snow and other wintry hazards will continue to create difficult conditions in places this week.
“More severe weather warnings for wintry hazards could well be needed as we head through the weekend and next week.”
The RAC experienced its biggest day for breakdowns on record, with around 12,000 drivers needing help.
RAC Breakdown’s Rod Dennis said: “Yesterday was officially our busiest day for breakdowns on record, with around 12,000 drivers needing help, the equivalent of eight every minute of the day. Even our busiest day during the infamous Beast from the East in 2018 didn’t see as many people breaking down.
“We believe two key ingredients have combined to create the worst-ever winter breakdown cocktail – a sustained period of cold weather with an absence of widespread snow that would otherwise keep people indoors, and a big rise in the number of drivers who can’t afford to maintain their vehicles as well as they’d like to due to the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis.
“Today remains an incredibly demanding day for our patrols, with the rail strikes likely to force yet more people onto the roads.”
Travel disruption also continued on Tuesday, with icy roads making conditions difficult.
The Met Office said there will be icy stretches on untreated roads, pavements, and cycle paths due to the thawing of snow left over from Monday.
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