After one of the mildest autumns on record, winter has arrived with a vengeance. The first snow flurries of the year were reported yesterday at Knock and Belmullet.
Temperatures are foreceast to drop to -4 degrees tonight in Ulster and north Connacht with snow on higher ground.
Day-time temperatures tomorrow are like to hover between 3 degrees and 6 degrees. Snow showers can be expected in Ulster though the snow is not likely to linger because temperatures remain above freezing. Sleet will be experienced elsewhere.
“Winter is definitely here now,” said Met Éireann forecaster John Eagleton, “but I don’t think this can catch anybody by surprise.”
However, a repeat of the big freeze last winter is not forecast as the winds will be mostly from the west rather than the north which traditionally bring snow showers in winter time.
The forecast for the rest of the week is for cold, windy and showery conditions with temperatures between 4 and 8 degrees. There will be a brief rise in temperatures on Wednesday followed by a return to colder weather towards the end of the week.
Records produced by Met Éireann earlier this week show that it was the warmest autumn on record in most parts of the east and midlands with the Phoenix Park experiencing its warmest autumn since records began 150 years ago.
