Met Éireann issue huge update on the country-wide red snow-ice warning

Met Éireann have updated a red snow-ice weather warning issued for all of Ireland to two separate alerts.

Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Roscommon, Sligo, Cavan, Monaghan and Donegal will be on high alert from Thursday afternoon until 6am on Friday. Meanwhile, all of Munster and Leinster will continue to be under a red alert until noon on Friday. The latest update on the weather warnings happened just before 2pm, after Met Éireann forecasters previously issued a red alert for the whole country on Wednesday night. And the warning states that it will be the southern and eastern coastal counties that will be the worst affected by Storm Emma. The alert reads:

“Sub-zero temperatures and further heavy snow showers this afternoon. “Blizzard like conditions will develop in the southeast and south this evening and extend northwards tonight. Southern and eastern coastal counties will be worst affected.”

Forecasters added that there will also be "scattered thunderstorms" in Munster and Leinster tonight, with the snowfall being more showery over Ulster and Connacht. Temperatures will reach as low as -4C tonight. Transport services including Irish Rail, Bus Eireann and Luas have been cancelled for tomorrow and all Aer Lingus flights have been cancelled until Saturday. https://twitter.com/campaignforleo/status/969169954934272000 Taoiseach Leo Vardadkar attended a briefing at the National Emergency Coordination Centre and said that the threat to the risk of life presented by this extreme weather should not be underestimated.