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MIDLANDS: WATER supplies have been severely hit in the midlands as freezing temperatures continue to put pressure on local authorities…

MIDLANDS:WATER supplies have been severely hit in the midlands as freezing temperatures continue to put pressure on local authorities.

Westmeath County Council has erected standpipes at seven locations where members of the public can collect water.

The pipes are being manned by council staff and locations are available on the council’s website (westmeathcoco.ie).

Met Éireann recorded a temperature of -11.3 in Mullingar yesterday.

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Longford County Council also erected standpipes at five locations yesterday in response to the level of calls about frozen pipes.

The council is restricting water supplies across the county in an effort to conserve stocks.

Water outages were experienced in parts of Tullamore, where council staff were working on a burst water main.

The council has urged members of the public to conserve water.

Laois County Council is making grit available to community and voluntary groups at depots around the county while stocks last.

The authority has reported “extremely cold” conditions throughout the county with patches of ice and fog in places.

Main routes throughout the midlands remain passable but motorist are being advised to exercise care. EOGHAN MacCONNELL

GALWAY-MAYO

As temperatures in the west were forecast to fall to -14 degrees and lower last night, flights were disrupted in both Galway and Knock airports.

An east Galway hospital was also forced to cancel some outpatient appointments when a pipe froze. Portiuncula Hospital, Ballinasloe, had no heat or water, and had to refer some patients to hospital in Mullingar.

Galway city and county councils rejected claims yesterday that

they would not have enough grit to last the current cold spell. Both authorities said they had sufficient grit to last to Christmas Day, when temperatures are expected to rise.

Mayo County Council received fresh salt stocks, but county manager John Condon said it would be for use on national primary routes only.

A fresh snowfall early yesterday morning added to the blanket already covering west and north Mayo.

Ballina and Castlebar were among the worst-affected areas, with motorists experiencing difficulty, especially in hilly areas.

In Foxford, gardaí issued a warning to the public to avoid Callow Lake near the town as a fresh fall of snow was making it difficult for walkers to tell the difference between solid ground and the frozen lake. LORNA SIGGINSand TOM SHIEL

KERRY

Temperatures dropped overnight yesterday in Kerry – hitting as low as -13 in the Killarney area – and snow fell early in most parts.

Water supplies froze and dozens of schools remained closed throughout the county and in west Limerick and north Cork.

Attempts to keep the Moll’s Gap open between Killarney and Kenmare/Sneem on the Ring of Kerry were abandoned and Conor Pass in the Dingle Peninsula remained closed.

In the north of the county, water was turned off overnight in Brosna and in other areas where water levels are low. ANNE LUCEY

NORTHEAST

In Meath, the Army helped to clear snow from footpaths in Bettystown, Ashbourne and Ratoath and in Louth snow ploughs helped to keep main regional routes open.

The N2, particularly around Slane, remained hazardous with snow and ice, while the Slane to Drogheda road was blocked near Townley Hall mid-morning when a truck got stuck during heavy snowfalls.

The normal school run yesterday morning became like rush-hour gridlock in Drogheda with some parents saying it took three times as long because traffic was moving so slowly.

Last night Louth County Council confirmed it is to take a delivery of 450 tonnes of salt “in the coming days up to Christmas.”

“This will, with immediate effect, allow the salting of the original published routes, ie 427km of national and regional routes,” a spokesman said.

In Drogheda, firefighters helped to clear footpaths and were helped later in the day by staff from Dundalk Town Council. ELAINE KEOGH

DONEGAL

Motorists were again allowed to fill their tanks with petrol and diesel in Donegal yesterday afternoon after some garages had been forced to introduce rationing.

Garages in west Donegal, especially in Gweedore and Gortahork, had been forced to limit customers to €20 worth of fuel each.

Many garages had run low on fuel after treacherous roads prevented delivery trucks from Derry from making the journey.

Eugene Gallagher from Gallagher’s Filling Station in Derrybeg had been hoping a tanker would arrive last Friday or Saturday. “They were supposed to come out on Friday and Saturday but couldn’t make it because of the roads.

"They eventually arrived earlier today but it took them five hours coming from Derry which would normally take them little more than an hour and a half," he said. STEPHEN MAGUIRE