Main Points
- Mullingar, Co Westmeath recorded a low of -7.5 degrees overnight
- Orange level alert issued for severe frost and ice between 7pm on Thursday and 8am on Friday
- ESB is working to reconnect the final 200 customers without electricity
- Met Éireann says temperatures today will “struggle” to reach 4 degrees
- Temperatures are forecast to drop sharply to -7 degrees tonight in some parts
- Join The Irish Times WhatsApp channel for breaking news straight to your phone
Best reads
- ‘There’s only so much gritting they can do’: Drivers in Laois on negotiating snow and icy roads
- ‘Forgotten’ Kerry village still without water and electricity
- ‘We’re looking at the positives’: Snowed in without power, family of six embraces camping stove amid ‘tough’ tech-free days
An Garda Síochána say 375 drivers have been caught speeding on Irish roads over the last 72 hours despite the treacherous conditions.
Examples of speeding detections made by members of An Garda Síochána and Mobile Safety Camera Vans (GoSafe, Road Safety Partners), include:
99km/hr in a 50km/hr zone on the Dublin Road, Galway
97km/hr in a 50km/hr zone on the Dublin Road, Galway
84km/hr in a 50km/hr zone on the N3, Virginia, Cavan
83km/hr in a 50km/hr zone on the R188, Drumbear, Monaghan
80km/hr in a 50km/hr zone on the Dublin Road, Cavan
Speaking about these detections, Chief Superintendent Jane Humphries said: “The disregard for speed limits and safe speeds by a small number of drivers is irresponsible and dangerous, not just for their own safety, but for the safety of the many workers who are busy keeping our roads open for essential use in this excessive cold spell and other road users who are supporting road safety.
“Drivers who continue to drive at excessive speed are a menace on our roads. An Garda Síochána continues to enforce the road traffic legislation throughout this period in addition to working and supporting our communities across the country and in the most affected counties during this cold weather period.”
The North’s Infrastructure minister John O’Dowd has said his department has used 80 per cent of its available salt supplies over the last week to keep traffic moving.
Temperatures have fallen below zero over the past week and the Department’s winter service teams have been out gritting the 7,000 km of road on the salting schedule.
Infrastructure Minister John O’Dowd said: “My Department’s winter service teams have been working tirelessly around the clock in recent days to keep the public safe and traffic moving and will be out again today with further ice and snow forecast.
“On average, 49,200 tonnes of salt is used each winter. And this season has already seen 42,580 tonnes of salt used.
“Since 1 January, our teams have carried out 2,262 route treatments across the network.
“This has required the commitment of over 320 staff and 130 gritters and in theory this means that 28 per cent of the road network is salted, directly benefiting around 80 per cent. of road users.”
Uisce Éireann is reminding customers to remain vigilant and continue to report bursts and leaks in the water network to enable our teams to carry out maintenance and repairs as required.
The vast majority of the 40,000 people whose supply was disrupted at the weekend now have their water back, however it may take longer for normal supply to return to some customers at the ends of the network or on higher elevations, in particularly around the areas of Brosna, Knocknagoshel and Castleisland in North Kerry.
In areas where supply is slower to return, alternative water supplies have been made available and crews are on the ground working to restore supply as quickly as possible.
The utility has further warned that frozen pipes which begin to thaw may lead to an increase in bursts and leaks.
Uisce Éireann’s Head of Water Operations Margaret Attridge is reminding people to continue to report any leaks on the public network. She said, “We know it has been a very difficult week for many people around the country, and our crews have been working around the clock to restore supplies and provide alternative water supplies where needed.”
The most recent observations from Met Éireann stations show it is already freezing in Dublin, at Shannon and Moore Park in Co Carlow. The lowest temperature at present is a -1 at Gurteen in Co Sligo.
Met Éireann is expecting temperatures to fall to -7 in midlands areas overnight.
Tomorrow (Friday) is likely to see a dramatic and welcome rise in temperatures across the country though it could take a few days for it all to thaw out.
Met Éireann’s head of forecasting Eoin Sherlock has just published a commentary on the cold weather.
The end is in sight, he says, but the public will have to endure another night of freezing weather.
“On Thursday night a weather front will move into the southwest of the country and it will initially bring some sleet and snow, particularly on higher ground,” he states on the Met Éireann website.
“However, this precipitation will transition to rain as the front moves slowly north eastwards on Friday. The front will cause temperatures to raise a few degrees, with values still in the low single figures for inland areas.
“Then on Friday night temperatures are likely to stay just above freezing.Temperatures will range from 4 to 8 degrees on Saturday, and temperatures should fall to between 2 and 6 degrees in general. It will be Sunday before temperatures really start to increase with highs of 8 to 11 degrees as a milder airmass takes its place over the country.”
Beds available for all rough sleepers during cold snap, say local authorities
Local authorities have underlined that beds remain available for any rough sleepers during the ongoing cold snap, following the latest meeting of the National Emergency Co-ordination Group (NECG).
The group met on Thursday morning to discuss the ongoing response to the prolonged cold weather and the latest weather warnings issued by Met Éireann.
An orange weather warning for low temperatures and ice has again been issued for 13 counties, valid from 7pm tonight until 8am on Friday.
The State’s cold weather initiatives are in operation across all local authorities, providing additional emergency beds for rough sleepers where needed, according to a statement released by the Government press office. It also noted that outreach teams were continuing to work with rough sleepers and encouraging them to avail of accommodation.
The Dublin Region Homeless Executive (DRHE) has a free app and an online form which enables members of the public to alert them to the location of anyone sleeping rough, so that outreach teams can make contact with them and advise of available beds.
However, volunteers supporting homeless international protection applicants, who have not been offered state accommodation, have criticised Government for the temporary nature of these beds, saying asylum seekers will be “kicked back out” on to the streets once the weather warning has passed.
Eighteen civil defence units deployed during cold weather
Eighteen of the country’s 28 civil defence units have been mobilised to support emergency services and local communities across large parts of the country during the bitterly cold weather, the Department of Defence says.
Units from Kerry, Cork, Limerick, Clare, Tipperary, Carlow, Kilkenny, Offaly, Laois, Kildare, Galway, Wexford, Wicklow, Donegal and Cavan have been deployed during the cold snap, while the Dublin unit is providing assistance in Limerick. Other units remain on standby, said the department.
The mobilisation came following a “significant” number of requests from principal response agencies, including An Garda Síochána and the HSE.
Such is the volume of requests received, that it has not been possible to track the total number of people assisted with general welfare visits and other assistance, said the department.
Civil defence support in recent days has included the transport of HSE patients, facilitating palliative care home visits, welfare visits and transport of key HSE staff. Units have also provided assistance to business and community groups.
Fewer than 200 customers still without power
Customers who still have no electricity in their homes will see their power reconnected today, ESB Networks said on Thursday.
Fewer than 200 customers are still without power according to the latest update from the energy network shortly after midday on Thursday.
Households in Carrigshane near Middleton in east county Cork, Killinick in county Wexford and Cappamore in Co Limerick were still without power on Thursday.
The network estimated customers in Killinick would have power restored by 2.45 on Thursday, while Cappamore customers would have their electricity back by 3.15pm. Affected customers in east Cork are scheduled to have their power back by 3.45pm on Thursday.
Abandoned dogs freezing while livestock perish in the snow
Dogs are continuing to be dumped across the country despite the freezing conditions, an animal rescue group has warned.
As the country grapples with below freezing temperatures, abandoned dogs have been picked up all across the country, some of them barely alive, Martina Kenny from My Lovely Horse Rescue told Limerick’s Live 95 radio station.
“It’s just constant. I’m about to deal with a poor springer spaniel that was dumped in Kilcock, and God love him he was freezing cold and wet.”
Meanwhile, the insurance industry is fielding a rise in claims from farmers in the southwest of the country whose livestock have perished in the snow in recent days.
Irish Farmers’ Association director of policy Tadhg Buckley said farmers in North Cork, Kerry and Tipperary were contacting insurers after their farm sheds collapsed under the weight of the snow, in some cases killing the animals inside.
Some farmers were unable to get inside the sheds to free animals who survived, Mr Buckley told The Neil Prendeville Show on Cork’s Redfm. Farmers have not been able to milk their cows for two to three days and many have lost power, he warned, adding that farmers were facing into a difficult spring.
Jim Flannery, brand ambassador with OMC claims, told Redfm his Cork office had received “a lot of reports of collapsed buildings” with farmers trying to get their animals to safety. Some farmers may not have cover unless they ticked ‘accidental death’ of animals in their policy, he warned.
Stradbally residents express frustration at a lack of preparation for the cold snap
Residents of Stradbally have expressed frustration at the lack of provisions made for cold weather in advance of another freezing night in the Co Laois town, Stephen Farrell has reported.
Met Éireann has forecast temperatures as low as -6 degrees for Thursday night, which is expected to be the final freezing night of this cold snap.
Leslie Newman (44), from Castlecomer, Co Kilkenny, who was passing through Stradbally on Wednesday night, expressed frustration that taxes were not being used to effectively prepare for extreme weather events.
“You’d wonder why you would tax your vehicles – where does the money go,” he told The Irish Times.
Newman pays more than €1,500 in motor tax a year, on two personal cars and four commercial vehicles in his metal-fabricating business.
“But I’m supposed to drive in the snow; there was no provision made for the cold weather,” he said in exasperation at the lack of treatment of roads in the icy conditions.
Until three years ago Newman privately salted a number of filling stations in the region, including at the Applegreen facility at Birdhill, Co Tipperary, and Barack Obama Plaza in Moneygall, Co Tipperary.
Further along Stradbally’s Main Street, as the freezing fog thickened in the darkening dusk, resident Daryl Mulhall (34) said that on Sunday morning he had no power for three hours.
He was keen to praise local auctioneer, John O’Brien, who Mulhall said shovelled snow off the pavement along the street in front of his premises.
“He defrosted it – salted it so that the old ladies could walk the pavement,” said Mulhall.
Read Stephen Farrell’s full report from Stradbally here.
An Garda Síochána doesn’t appear to agree with Peadar Tóibín’s take on the weather warnings
Road conditions still ‘lethal’ in areas
Road conditions continue to be “lethal” in parts of county Limerick with many roads impassable and people in remote areas still without power, a Limerick councillor has said.
Fine Gael councillor Liam Galvin said there had been “very little improvement here” but also praises the efforts of ESB crews, council staff and Uisce Éireann.
The scale of the effort was “just phenomenal” he told RTÉ radio’s Today with Claire Byrne show. Frozen snow was like concrete which meant that snow ploughs were not able to do the work for which they were designed, he added.
Limerick county council has established a “humanitarian phone line” for people who need provisions, which Mr Galvin urged people to call if they were impacted by the extreme weather conditions. He emphasised the need for better planning and co-ordination between various agencies to prepare for such extreme weather events in the future, and the importance of involving the public to improve communication and response efforts.
Extremely cold snap due to end by the weekend
The national director for Fire and Emergency Management Keith Leonard has said the current severe weather situation should be over within “the next 24 to 48 hours.” The focus for emergency teams is to “keep the country moving” and ensuring roads are clear and that public transport is operating, he told RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland.
The priority is returning services to areas without power and water “but there is light at the end of the tunnel with conditions improving tomorrow,” he said.
Power issues should be resolved in the next 24 hours, however, water may take longer, he added. “By the weekend we would hope to have normal operations across all categories.”
The national emergency team will meet today to consider the situation and may meet again tomorrow, he said. Friday’s meeting is expected to be the last of the current cold weather period, he added.
Drive with extreme caution and ‘take it slowly’
Motorists have been advised to continue driving with “extreme caution” during this protracted cold snap.
The Road Safety Authority communications manager Aoibhinn Twoomey urged road users to allow extra time for their journeys and to drive extremely carefully. Her main message was “take it slowly”.
Speaking on Newstalk Breakfast, Ms Twomey said it was important not to accelerate or brake suddenly and to drive in the highest possible gear.
She also reminded drivers to leave room between their vehicle and the car in front to allow time to correct in case of a skid.
Met Éireann has issued a fresh orange weather warning for low temperature and ice across 13 counties in the Leinster, Cavan, Monaghan, Munster, Connacht. It will be extremely cold, with widespread severe frost, ice and lying snow. The warning is valid from 6pm on Thursday evening until 11am on Friday.
The forecaster said that there will be widespread dangerous travelling conditions on roads and underfoot and potential travel disruption and delays.
Students from Desmond College in Newcastle West, Co Limerick, had to overcome the most hazardous snow and ice conditions to ensure they got to this year’s BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition.
They had to get help from locals with tractors to clear snow from the roads to ensure they would make it on time to Dublin’s RDS.
“There was tractors everywhere and they were getting it all cleared so we got here safely,” student Kinga Tobianska told RTÉ News.
Desmond College have six students presenting three projects, said their BTYSTE co-ordinator Donal Enright, a teacher at the school. One girl had to make her way through 200 metres of difficult snow to get to a main road where she was collected, while their school caretaker had to clear a way into the school so they could collect their project materials.
“We all had to learn to walk like penguins,” Enright told The Irish Times, “But we’re delighted to be here. We’re delighted they’re all safe. It’s great to back at the BTYSTE. The school has a long history of taking part.”
“It’s a lovely thing that communities are getting behind this because the students have put so much work in to be here,” said Mari Cahalane head of BTYSTE.
She confirmed only one school had cancelled their participation in the event while nine schools were allowed to arrive today (Thursday), a day later, to present their projects.
The RNLI in Co Donegal have issued a warning to swimmers after a woman received horrific injuries after suffering from hypothermia while in a for a sea dip, reports Stephen Maguire.
The woman suffered multiple cuts and bruises after becoming disorientated while swimming in Lough Swilly.
She had stayed in the water longer than normal as she was searching for her partner on the shore. The woman was an experienced swimmer but the woman’s body temperature dropped quickly as hypothermia set in.
She became confused as she searched for her partner and came ashore in an unusual area cutting her legs on brambles and rocks.
Thankfully, the woman’s partner eventually found her and the woman received immediate medical attention.
The woman shared a photo of her injuries with Lough Swilly RNLI in the hope of alerting others to the dangers of when hypothermia strikes.
The Lough Swilly RNLI urged people to take extra care if they decide to go swimming during the current cold snap.
“We would urge the public to be careful in the sea, especially during this cold snap,” they said.
The national director for Fire and Emergency Management, Keith Leonard has said that the current severe weather situation should be over within “the next 24 to 48 hours.”
The focus for the emergency team is to “keep the country moving” and ensuring that roads are clear and that public transport is operating, he told RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland.
A number of areas still remain without power and water, he acknowledged and the priority is returning such services, “but there is light at the end of the tunnel with conditions improving tomorrow.
“We’re hoping that the power issues will be pretty much resolved, I think, in the next 24 hours. Water, I understand, might take a little bit longer, but by the weekend we would hope to have normal operations across all categories.”
The national emergency team will meet today to consider the situation and may meet again tomorrow, he said. “But I would expect if we have to meet tomorrow, that will be the last meeting of this current severe cold weather period.”
Aoibhinn Twomey, Communications manager with The Road Safety Authority is urging motorists to allow extra time for journeys and to drive with “extreme caution” during the current “big freeze”.
Speaking on Newstalk Breakfast, Ms Twomey said it was important not to accelerate or brake suddenly and to drive in the highest possible gear.
It was important to leave room between the car in front to allow time to correct in case of a skid, she said. The main message to motorists is to “take it slowly”.
Met Éireann forecaster Matthew Martin has warned the public about hazardous travel conditions as temperatures will not rise above freezing, which means there will not be a thaw.
Speaking on RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland, Mr Martin said there will also be freezing fog in parts of the country which will make driving even more challenging.
The lowest temperature recorded on Wednesday night was -7.5 degrees in Mullingar, Co Westmeath, he said, which is a long way from the lowest temperature ever recorded which was -19.1 degrees recorded in Sligo in 1881, Vivienne Clarke reports.
Good morning,
Met Éireann forecaster Matthew Martin has warned travel conditions will continue to be hazardous today as temperatures will not rise above freezing which means there will not be a thaw.
Speaking on RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland, Mr Martin said there will also be freezing fog in parts of the country which will make driving even more challenging.
The Road Safety Authority has also expressed concern at the ongoing freezing conditions urging motorists to drive with “extreme caution.” Aoibhinn Twomey communications manager with the authority said it was important that drivers allow extra time for journeys and “take it slowly”.
Just under 3,000 homes and businesses remain to have electricity supplies reconnected. That are located mainly in the south Limerick area where the largest numbers, some 2,300 properties are in the Newcastle West area.
The lowest temperature recorded on Wednesday night was -7.5 degrees in Mullingar, Co Westmeath, he said, which is a long way from the lowest temperature ever recorded which was -19.1 degrees recorded in Sligo in 1881.
Another night of sub-zero temperatures is expected on Thursday as a near weeklong cold snap continues to cause disruption in many parts of the country.
An orange warning for low temperatures and ice for all counties in the State except Donegal was due to expire at 11am on Thursday, although Met Éireann was again forecasting a bitterly cold night ahead. Lowest temperatures will range between -2 and -7 generally, coldest earlier in the night, with severe frost and freezing fog expected.
Authorities continue to appeal to the public to take precautions amid hazardous driving conditions across the country. A nationwide yellow weather warning for low temperatures and ice will be in place until at least Friday morning, with falls of sleet and snow possible in parts of the country that morning.
Efforts by ESB Networks and Uisce Éireann to restore electricity and water supply to areas most impacted by the weather also continue. Approximately 2,000 homes, farms and businesses in counties Limerick, Kerry and Cork remained without electricity by 5pm. Some 500 of those customers were expected to be without supply overnight, an ESB Networks spokesman said, with reconnection efforts due to begin again at first light on Thursday.
Uisce Éireann has said that the majority of customers have been reconnected and the number without water has dropped to 4,500, down from a peak of 40,000 early Monday morning.
Service provided by ESB Networks for phone charging facilities and hot meals at local hotels in some of the worst affected areas of the country will be provided again on Thursday. The ESB contacted cut-off customers in Tipperary and Limerick directly to avail of the services.
The services will be provided at Longcourt Hotel, Newcastle West; Leens Hotel, Abbeyfeale, Co Limerick; Charleville Park Hotel, Charleville, Co Cork; and the Horse and Jockey Hotel, Horse and Jockey, Thurles, Co Tipperary.
“We would like to remind customers to only travel if it is safe to do so,” an ESB spokesman said.
