Met Éireann has warned of windy weather across 10 counties today.
Cold & windy today with sunny spells & wintry shwrs. Risk of thunder. Drier in E & S. Highs 3 to 6 deg, fresh/strong & gusty N to NW winds.
— Met Éireann (@MetEireann) January 31, 2015
A Status Yellow wind warning for Dublin, Louth, Wexford, Wicklow, Meath, Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Sligo, Clare, Cork, Kerry and Waterford was issued just after 8am this morning.
Northwest to north winds are predicted to reach mean speeds of 50-65km/h and could gust 90-110km/h today.
Strong northerly winds especially over coasts/hills will drive wintry showers southwards and make it feel bitter. pic.twitter.com/IGnAYXIHx8
— Cecilia Daly (@WeatherCee) January 31, 2015
The warning remains in effect until 6pm tonight.
Meteorologist Joan Blackburn says a few snow flurries might also be seen on hills.
“[There will be a] strong, cold northerly windflow down across the country, really all coastal counties, particularly so for western and northern ones,” she said.
“They are also bringing down plenty of showers with them, and because we have the low temperatures, we are seeing some sleet and show showers over the country as well.
“These are likely to continue through the afternoon, this evening and into tonight.”
Sunshine and showers today and with an increasingly cold air mass the showers will turn to snow once again... #aaww pic.twitter.com/rO4fDZ6FLt
— AAWeatherWatch (@AAWeatherWatch) January 31, 2015
She later warned of colder temperatures over the next couple of days.
“We had a bit of frost this morning, but nothing terribly significant because we had a strong wind last night that prevented the frost,” she said.
“Tonight, that wind is going to be decreasing so we will see temperatures down maybe to -3C is places, and there will be a widespread sharp to sever frost.
“Tomorrow night, it’s likely to be even colder, because there will be a lack of wind, so it will be even frostier tomorrow night.”