Status Yellow low temperature and ice warning for Ireland
A Status Yellow low temperature and ice warning for Ireland will come into effect at 10pm this evening and run until noon tomorrow.
Status Yellow snow and ice warnings have been issued for Dublin, Wicklow and Donegal.
Donegal's snow and ice warning will be in place from 9pm tonight to 12pm on Saturday afternoon, with the forecaster saying that scattered sleet and snow showers will give some accumulations, especially on high ground.
Dublin and Wicklow's snow and ice warning is in place from 9pm tonight to 6am tomorrow morning.
Met Éireann has forecast a sharp to severe frost with icy surfaces, as temperatures widely fall to -4C. This warning will come to an end at 10am tomorrow.
The forecaster said this evening will see wintry showers of sleet and snow, mainly across east Leinster with some lying snow possible.
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Meteorologist Siobhan Ryan said: "We're in the grip of bitterly cold conditions and they're set to stay with us into next week.
"We do know at this stage we have an overarching weather advisory until Monday of next week," she said
The weekend will see very cold temperatures continue, the forecaster stated. Dense freezing fog is expected to form in parts, leading to impaired visibility. A widespread sharp to severe frost is expected and icy stretches, with lowest temperatures of -5 to zero degrees.
Temperatures will struggle to rise above freezing for most on Sunday, with frost, ice and freezing fog persisting throughout the day. Lowest temperatures will range from -6C to -2C.
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Keith Leonard of National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management said the margins between power supply and demand would be tight "throughout the winter".
However he said that currently supply is "well able to cope".
"The margins between supply and demand on the electricity network are going to be tight throughout the winter, and that low wind speed has an effect," he said.
"However the current information that I have is that the supply is well able to cope with the current conditions."
Mr Leonard said that if there was an issue with supply, the "first step would be the throttling-back of demand for large commercial customers".
"Only after that had an effect would there be a move to have any interruption to the domestic supply, but that's not flagged at the moment," he said.
Mr Leonard said that a lot of preparation work has been done ahead of the cold weather, with local authorities and Met Éireann working in tandem.
"Mainly the work has been around preparation, we've been working with Met Éireann and local authorities over the last number of days.
"The local authority severe weather assessment teams have been activated and Transport Infrastructure Ireland and local authorities are treating roads in order to keep them open."