Weather to turn 'bitterly cold' from Wednesday

THE weather is set to turn bitterly cold from Wednesday and last through to Saturday with northwesterly winds becoming dominant, drawing cold air down from the Arctic with wintry precipitation and strong winds at times.

According to Met. Eireann, Wednesday night will see scattered showers turning increasingly wintry with hail, sleet and snow possible with lowest temperatures of between -1 to +2 degrees. Fresh to strong and gusty northwesterly winds will back southwesterly overnight and moderate.

On Thursday there will be frequent showers, some heavy with a risk of hail, sleet and snow possible to low levels, mostly across Connacht and Ulster. Very cold with afternoon temperatures struggling between 1 and 4 degrees.

Showers continuing through Thursday night with widespread frost and ice. Moderate to fresh westerly winds, strong to gale about west and southwest coasts.

Friday: Continuing very cold with sunny spells and further showers of rain, hail, sleet and snow. Afternoon highs in the low single figures. Showers becoming confined to western and northern coasts at night with severe frosts forming as winds fall light inland.

Saturday: Cold and frosty with sunny spells. Showers becoming increasingly confined to the coastal fringes of the north and west.

Sunday and beyond: Current indications are for less cold conditions with anticyclonic conditions drifting in from the Atlantic.