IRISH schools face closure and flight disruption is on the cards as “significant snowfall” strikes across several counties within hours.
Status Orange snow warnings will kick in for several Munster counties from midnight, with Galway just having their warning upgraded and several other yellow level alerts also in place across the country.
Heavy snow could fall across the south and west overnight leading to early morning road chaos[/caption]
Met Eireann has urged the public to take extreme care, particularly in counties under orange warnings[/caption]
Over 5cm of snow could hit in some areas in a short space of time[/caption]
Around 5cm of snow or more is likely to fall in Galway, Cork, Waterford, Clare, Limerick and Tipperary, predicted to be the worst-hit counties during the -4C Baltic blast.
A 12-hour snow and rain orange warning kicks in for Cork and Waterford from midnight, while Galway, Clare, Limerick and Tipperary will be on orange alert for snow and ice for the same time period.
Met Eireann forecasters predict severe disruption once heavy rain changes to sleet and snow from around midnight
They’ve warned of “very difficult travelling conditions, poor visibility, travel disruption across public transport and air, rail and bus, difficult conditions underfoot, animal welfare issues and possible flooding”.
Eight schoolchildren earlier had a lucky escape when the school bus they were travelling in crashed into a ditch on the Tattygare Road in Lisbellaw in Co Fermanagh.
The UK Met Office has Antrim, Armagh, Down, Tyrone and Derry on yellow alert for ice from 4pm on Wednesday through to 10am on Thursday.
Clare, Galway, Mayo and Roscommon are already on yellow alert for snow and ice, before a Status Yellow snow and ice warning kicks in for Carlow, Dublin, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Offaly, Wexford, Wicklow, Munster, Galway, Mayo and Roscommon from 9pm.
And all of Ireland will be on yellow alert for low temperatures and ice from 8pm, with the mercury set to plummet to a bone-chilling -4C.
Met Eireann experts said some “intense” snow will fall over a short period of time with schools potentially facing closures in areas where roads become impassable and students and teachers can’t get to school safely, particularly with snow still predicted for during the Thursday morning rush-hour.
And airport chiefs are also making preparations for potential snow disruption to flights, with Shannon and Cork Airports both located in counties under orange warnings.
Met Eireann’s Deputy Head of Forecasting Liz Coleman said: “We’re going to have rain moving up over the country tonight and that’s going to clash with the very cold air which sunk over the country last night so some people would have woken up this morning and noticed that frost on their cars.
“So when we have warm rain hitting cold air, we see the rain transitioning into sleet and snow so the yellow warning is in effect basically in a line from Galway across to Wicklow and that’s coming into effect from 9pm.
“We can expect snow in those areas but it’s really the orange level counties where we expect the intensity of the snow over a short time period.”
DON’T MAKE UNNECESSARY JOURNEYS
Liz urged the public in the counties set to see the heaviest snow to strongly consider taking journeys during the worst of the weather.
She told RTE Radio One’s Today with Claire Byrne: “So coming into effect after midnight, we can expect maybe about 5cm of snow, we know in Ireland snow is quite impactful for people and also the snow is going to be falling for rush-hour traffic tomorrow morning so people need to be aware and be prepared for the fact that you may have to travel in snow conditions and also we want people to maybe consider if they need to take the journey at all.”
“There might be some updates through the day, snow is notoriously hard to forecast in Ireland but this is a significant signal that we’re getting over the southern half of the country at the moment.
“There is a chance that it could move maybe slightly further north so there’s a possibility that maybe parts of south Mayo, also parts of Dublin might come into the yellow warning so people need to stay in contact with the forecast through the day for those updates.”
And Liz warned that storm fears sounded by weather boffins earlier this week look likely to come to pass, with MORE weather warnings for wet and windy weather from Friday onwards predicted.
Liz continued: “It’s going to be very wet and windy over the weekend, we’re going to have some warnings coming out once we get through this snow event.
“We are keeping an eye on that but just to give people the heads-up there is going to be quite a change in the weather for the weekend, wet and windy conditions, and there will be further warnings associated with that coming from Met Eireann.”
SCHOOL FEARS
The Department of Education this week confirmed that decisions to close schools can be made at local levels, as per the Government’s Be Winter Ready advice.
Schools could move to make closure decisions this evening, so as to inform parents in good time before they try to take journeys on Thursday morning, when the roads look set to be at their most treacherous.
The Government’s latest advice around school closures during severe weather states: “The decision to close a school or ELC rests with the setting’s management authority taking into consideration the full guidance and direction available from the principal response agencies, especially An Garda Siochana.
“Any decision to close is taken in the interest of child safety, having assessed the local risks and having consulted, as appropriate, with school transport operators.
“Some of the issues that settings take into account include conditions in the setting itself, capacity of the setting to ensure the health and safety of children and students, ability of parents, students, staff and school transport services to safely negotiate local road conditions to reach the setting and guidance and direction from the principal response agencies.
“Schools and ELCs should monitor weather forecasts in order to be prepared for any severe weather, which may affect the setting.
“During periods of severe weather, settings should assess the situation using the above guidance. Settings should be prepared, keep themselves informed and remain vigilant.”
EMERGENCY PREP
The National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management met on Wednesday morning to prepare for the severe weather.
Director Keith Leonard said: “Parts of the country may see very difficult travelling conditions over the coming hours.
“Driving conditions will be hazardous. Even where roads are gritted we are asking drivers to slow down, drive with caution, be aware of other road users and allow extra time for your journey.
“We also know that footpaths can become extremely hazardous and slippery due to ice, so people should take extra care while walking too.
“I understand that there are 180,000 tonnes of salt stock available for this winter season and that arrangements have been made for salt stocks to be distributed to all local authorities in anticipation of the colder conditions on roads.”
13 THINGS TO DO TO PREP FOR SNOW
1. Have a small supply of food and keep supplies of essential medication: Stock up on foodstuffs that won’t go off and keep extra medication in case you won’t be able to get to the chemist.
2. Have an adequate supply of fuel for heating and cooking: Don’t be left stuck – grab a few supplies now and Winter Ready also recommends a suitable alternative in case the main supply fails.
3. Gather the essentials: Have a shovel and bag of salt to keep paths clear and safe, and have batteries for torches, plus candles and matches in the event of power cuts.
4. Check on neighbours: Plenty of us know people in our locality who may not be able to get out and about as much – so give a quick call to check they’re aware of weather warnings and that they are not stuck for supplies.
Check they have enough fuel for heating and food to keep them going. If you have any doubts about the safety of an elderly or infirm person seek the assistance of gardai or local social services.
5. Have emergency and useful numbers handy: The usual emergency numbers are familiar to all of us – but keep your local Councillors’ details and a contact for companies like ESB close at hand.
6. Bring your pets inside: These weather conditions are not exactly ideal for your dogs and cats to be outside in – so make sure you bring them in to keep out of the snow.
7. Bleed radiators and take measures to prevent pipes freezing: This results in a warmer home and cheaper energy bills.
You can apply lagging to your pipes using electrical heating tape. This can be picked up in any decent hardware store.
8. Make the outside of your home ‘winter-proof’: Check for loose or missing shingles on your roof.
Give your gutters a good clean by removing any leaves, sticks, dirt or debris that could block the flow of rain or melting snow and ice.
Ensure any vents and your chimney are clear of anything that could block the exhaust.
9. Care for your car: Before setting off on any journey, make sure you can tick all of these boxes.
- Clear all your windows and mirrors before you set out by using a screen scraper and de-icer – these should always be kept in your car and be easily accessible.
- Throwing hot water over the windscreen is often thought of as a quick and easy fix – but DO NOT do this as it can crack the glass.
- Remove any snow from your roof. Snow left on your roof will become loose and can drop onto the windscreen during breaking.
- Make sure you have the correct tyres in order to avoid becoming stuck in ice, snow or mud.
- Check your lights, wiper blades and most importantly, your car battery.
10. Check your travel plans and drive with caution: And if you must travel, manoeuvre gently; avoid harsh braking, acceleration or steering as these can induce a skid. Heavy snowfall will reduce visibility. Use dipped headlights and fog lights if fitted.
11. Charge your phone now: Again, just in case of a power cut, plug in your phone now to make sure you’ll have enough charge to get through any eventualities.
12. Take care as a pedestrian: if a journey cannot be avoided, wear sturdy footwear with good gripping soles.
Take an extra look before you cross the road and do not attempt to cross the road if there are vehicles around – remember snow and ice increase the distance that cars need to stop. Wear high visibility clothing and carry a torch.
13. Leave a key and contact details with neighbours or family if you are going away: Make sure to prepare by dropping off a spare key to neighbours who may need access.
He added: “The National Transport Authority have contacted all public transport authorities to confirm that they were activating their winter plans in anticipation of potential disruption tomorrow morning.
“With regard to rough sleepers during this cold spell, the Department of Housing, Heritage and Local Government’s Homeless Unit has been in ongoing communication with Regional Leads in relation to their Cold Weather Responses – advising of the expected cold weather spell and ensuring that they engage with service providers and outreach teams to ensure that the necessary arrangements are in place for rough sleepers and users of emergency accommodation.
“The Department have also provided additional funding to local authorities in order to ensure they have the necessary resources in place to activate their cold weather responses.
“Finally, I would urge all members of the public to take extra care with all activities and to check out the Met Eireann and Be Winter Ready websites for further updates and advice.”
Areas under Status Yellow snow warnings will see lower snow accumulations, with between 1cm and 5cm of snow likely across 12 hours.
Temperatures on Thursday look set to only hit between 1C-4C during daylight hours, before dropping again to -4C again overnight.
And the cold weather will continue through to Friday bringing low temperatures, especially at night with widespread frost and ice.
More showers of sleet and snow can also be expected “but not at warning levels”, Met Eireann said.
And with a potential weekend storm on the horizon, Met chiefs urged the public to keep abreast of the forecast, warning: “We are monitoring the track of another low-pressure system which will bring unsettled weather for Ireland on the weekend.
“A storm has not been named at this time, but we are closely monitoring the situation.”
