Extreme weather continues to grip the southeast after the temperature plunged overnight.
Large areas of Cos Carlow, Kilkenny, Tipperary and Wexford are blanketed in snow which froze overnight. Most schools are closed and some roads are impassable.
Temperatures as low as -12C were recorded in Carlow town last night and an amateur weather station in Tullow, Co Carlow recorded a low of -16.1 C at 4.00am this morning.
Social activities and services - as well as many local bus services – have been cancelled throughout the region.
In Kilkenny, the local authorities, gardaí and the HSE have activated a “severe weather coordination plan” and expressed fears that the freeze may last “up to a further ten days”.
They said “appropriate responses” were available to enable the emergency services to reach isolated areas “if necessary” through the use of “4x4 vehicles and JCBs”.
Gardaí said that while many roads were open, conditions were “extremely dangerous” and only essential journeys should be undertaken. They said “speed limits were out the window” and that motorists should keep to a limit of 30 to 40 km/h and “not to attempt” to overtake other vehicles.
Among the worst-affected areas are Thomastown, Bennettsbridge, Gowran, Goresbridge and Graiguenamanagh in Co Kilkenny; Bunclody, Gorey and Enniscorthy in Co Wexford; and Bagenalstown and Borris in Co Carlow.
Kilkenny County Council said the situation regarding supplies of the salt used for gritting the roads was “precarious” but that further supplies are expected tomorrow from a shipment which had arrived at Limerick port. In Kilkenny city, council workers were manually spreading grit on icy footpaths.
In Co Wexford, up to 15cm of snow fell in the Bunclody area yesterday, causing very difficult conditions. Enniscorthy and Gorey are covered with an estimated 10cms of frozen snow.
Gardaí in Wexford said conditions on secondary roads in the county were “quite bad”. About 50 schools throughout the county remain closed.
In Co Tipperary, where there is “a light covering of snow” in many areas, dozens of schools are also closed and conditions on secondary roads are very difficult.
