A new weather alert has been issued for Clare towards the end of the week.
An orange warning is in place from this evening, with forecasters warning it could be the coldest night of the year.
A second alert has been issued for Thursday night.
We’re in for an exceptionally cold night tonight – and tomorrow night could be just as bad.
An orange weather alert for ice and cold temperatures comes into effect for Clare and 18 other counties from 6 o’clock this evening and remains in place until midday tomorrow.
Forecasters say temperatures will dip below minus 5 degrees, leading to severe frost and ice.
A second alert kicks in for the same time period overnight on Thursday up to noon on Friday.
Climate Scientist, Cathal Nolan, from Ireland’s Weather Channel says tonight could be coldest we’ve seen this year.
Clare County Council says it has adequate salt stocks to last into next week if they’re required.
The local authority’s been implementing its Winter Maintenance Plan all week, with roads accounting for around 70 percent of the county’s traffic being covered as temperatures continue to be below freezing.
Meanwhile, Kilrush RNLI is urging people to consider the risks before going into, or near, water bodies over the coming weeks.
Due to the freezing temperatures, many lakes, ponds and flooded areas have frozen over but the advice is to stay off the ice and to keep children and pets away from the edges.
A number of Christmas swim events are taking place across the county to raise funds for various charities.
Kilrush RNLI Spokesperson Charlie Glynn says people taking part should check they have the right information to safely enjoy these activities and that they know what to do in the event of an emergency.
Listen back to the full interview here:
