MOTORISTS ARE being warned to exercise extreme caution today with hazardous weather conditions predicted throughout the country as people continue to journey home for Christmas.
Ice, snow and freezing conditions are expected to continue to cause traffic problems today and for a time tomorrow. Sharp night-time frosts are also expected in the days to come.
AA Roadwatch is urging drivers to exercise “extreme care” while driving and is advising people who are travelling home for Christmas to try to do so during daylight hours when conditions are less hazardous.
“Freezing fog is particularly dangerous because it can cause your windscreen to freeze over as you’re driving along,” spokeswoman Arwen Foley said, adding that higher ground and sheltered areas were particularly treacherous.
Secondary and minor roads are worst affected by the adverse weather, especially in the midlands.
While nearly all main roads have been gritted, drivers are being urged to drive cautiously and to allow for 10 times the usual braking distance.
Motorists are also warned to anticipate crashes as road conditions remain treacherous.
A man in his late 30s was killed yesterday after a truck jack-knifed and came into collision with a car on the N25 between Carroll’s Cross and the turn-off for Kilmacthomas at about 4pm. Gardaí believe adverse weather conditions played a part in the crash.
In Limerick a truck jack-knifed on the R518 between Lee’s Cross and Rathkeale yesterday morning.
Bus Éireann passengers were continuing to experience delays yesterday due to road and weather conditions. Services in the southwest were affected with cancellations and delays on a number of routes, including to and from Tralee.
Passengers to and from Dublin airport experienced some delays yesterday following disruptions to flight schedules to and from British airports. Passengers are being advised to leave plenty of time and to check with flight operators regarding possible delays.
Some 730,000 passengers are expected to travel through Dublin airport between this week and next.
One flight from Edinburgh to Cork airport was delayed for three hours yesterday but otherwise minimal delays were reported. All operations were running as normal in Shannon airport.
An Aer Lingus spokeswoman said that the closure of Edinburgh airport for a time yesterday had resulted in flights being diverted to Glasgow.
A Ryanair plane, which originated in Dublin, slid off a runway in Glasgow yesterday after hitting a patch of ice. The aircraft came to a halt on grass, just 27 metres (30 yards) from Glasgow Prestwick airport’s perimeter fence and the busy M77 motorway.
No one was injured but the runway had to be closed while engineers recovered the aircraft.
Passenger Philip O’Reilly from Castlebar, Co Mayo, said that passengers were aware on landing that the plane wouldn’t be able to stop.
“We landed on the tarmac. The plane was moving very fast and I realised it wasn’t going to stop in time . . . We realised straight away what had happened. It just came to a sudden stop and the front wheels plunged into the grass verge.
“The pilot, as far as I know, reversed the thrusters and either steered off the runway or accidentally came off, I don’t know which,” Mr O’Reilly said.
A Ryanair spokesman said passengers had disembarked as normal and the airline extended an apology to anyone affected by disruption due to the incident.