MOTORISTS HAVE been warned to take care driving today as the recent cold spell is set to continue.
Met Éireann is forecasting further wintry showers with a mixture of hail, sleet, rain and snow expected over the coming days.
Many motorists were taken by surprise as road temperatures dropped as low as –3 degrees on some roads around the country yesterday with much of Munster, Connacht and the northwest affected by heavy snow.
As the majority of national roads had been treated, most problems occurred on secondary roads.
In Co Cork up to 20 vehicles became stuck in up to six inches of snow on the M8 Mitchelstown bypass in the morning, while in Co Limerick, treacherous conditions were reported on the N21 between Newcastle West and Abbeyfeale and the Rathkeale to Ballingarry Road.
A man (28) died following a crash in Macroom yesterday when the van in which he was travelling collided with a car at about 7.30am at Ballyshoneen Berrings, Macroom, Co Cork.
A number of minor incidents were also reported in counties Clare and Limerick and some schools in south Co Donegal and Co Sligo were closed due to the bad weather.
Very heavy snowfall caused dangerous driving conditions around Ballina, Crossmolina and Belmullet and the N59 in Co Mayo, while heavy snow and ice were also reported in counties Donegal, Leitrim, Kerry, Galway and Tipperary.
Elsewhere, conditions on the N17 Sligo/Galway Road in Co Sligo deteriorated so badly that it was closed temporarily as gardaí cleared a number of collisions near Ballynacarrow.
Conditions generally improved later in the day but Met Éireann warned that further wintry showers are expected over the coming days. However, these will mainly be restricted to parts of the north and west.
“It’s not unusual to see this kind of weather at this time of the year. The possibility of snow can occur at any time from around October to April and there’s even been snow recorded outside of that period,” Met Éireann meteorologist David Rogers told The Irish Times. Snow was expected on the high ground last night and temperatures of between 2 degrees and –3 degrees were forecast, increasing the risk of severe frost and ice on roads around the country.
Motorists have been advised to allow extra time for all journeys, watch out for black ice on all roads, particularly in sheltered areas, reduce speed and stay a safe distance from the car in front.
“Hopefully things won’t be as bad as they were but drivers are urged to stick to main routes rather than going over high ground or on back roads, because if there’s any hint of snow, the councils will be out treating the main roads early on,” said Ronan Gilligan of AA Roadwatch.
