Extreme caution urged amid continuing sub-zero temperatures
Motorists are being urged to take extreme care on the roads this morning with icy conditions reported in many areas.
Severe ice is still affecting most secondary and local roads and housing estates nationwide, with treacherous conditions reported, according to AA Roadwatch.
There has however been an improvement since yesterday on some main roads.
Up to 5cm of snow is forecast to fall in east Leinster today.
Around the country, conditions were reported to be treacherous around Killarney, while the Conor Pass near Dingle remains closed. In Cork, icy stretches were reported on the M8 between Cashel and Mitchelstown, the old N8 between Rathcormac and Watergrasshill, and on the Youghal bypass, while conditions around Macroom were still dangerous.
The N18 Limerick to Shannon road was also affected by ice, while further north, Letterkenny in Co Donegal, Monaghan town and Bailieborough in Cavan were among the areas subject to warning.
In Leinster, snow and ice were affecting roads in Wicklow and Wexford with motorists urged to avoid the Wicklow and Sally Gaps, Glencree and Delgany. Black ice was reported on the Rathdrum-Woodenbridge road, while a thick blanket of snow was affecting Wexford town.
In Meath many roads were described as "treacherous" while secondary roads in Kildare remained in poor condition.
Ice was also reported on roads around Galway city, Gort, Ballina, Claremorris, Tuam and Ballymote in Co Roscommon, where the Frenchpark/Boyle and the Boyle/Gurteen roads were impassable.
Bus Éireann said the majority of its services were operating as normal with some delays.
However due to continuing adverse weather and road conditions, some services were affected. In Leinster, Route 103 between Ashbourne and Ratoath was not operating, while Route 111 was not serving Kildakey and not operating between Granard and Castlepollard.
Route 163 Dublin-Donore was cancelled for the morning. Dublin-Clogher (189) was also cancelled and the 166 Dundalk-Cavan was to operate to Carrickmacross only.
In Cork, there were diversions on some services operating from the city to the county.
Meanwhile, pedestrians are being urged to take greater care as the cold snap looks set to continue until next week.
A&E departments around the country are experiencing a significant increase in the number of patients with broken bones after slipping on frozen footpaths.
Meanwhile the Irish Farmers Association has described the response of local authorities to the recent cold snap as totally inadequate.
The IFA said farmers should be contracted to grit roads in rural areas if local authorities cannot do it.
