DUBLIN: A nationwide orange alert has been issued, including for the capital city, as heavy snow continues. The country’s western region is mostly covered in snow. The Met Office and the government are warning people to be cautious because travel disruptions and road accidents are possible. After the snow fell last night, the yellow alert was updated to an orange alert.
There is more than ten centimetres of snow in most places. It is expected that removing them will be difficult. There is also uncertainty about school openings. Heavy snow is expected to continue until Monday. Therefore, the National Emergency Coordination Group (NACG) has instructed those concerned to take a decision on the opening of schools only after checking the roads, etc., and ensuring safety. Schools may be closed if travel difficulties are identified, according to school officials. Except for Glencullen School in ,Dun Laoghaire which was closed due to snow in the Dublin region, none of the other schools are currently closed. However, if the rain continues, the school administration will make a decision at the local level. Many schools in other counties have already declared holidays.
Following the heavy snow, a number of schools in Limerick, Kerry, and Clare counties were closed. Schools in other areas may be closed due to weather conditions. Principals have been given the authority to do so, according to Education Minister Norma Foley. Decisions could be reached in collaboration with the Garda, the Road Safety Authority, and local authorities.
Both primary and secondary roads are maintained by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TFI) and the local authority. However, NACG president Keith Leonard stated that clearing the thick snow from the roads would be impossible.
An orange alert has also been put in place for Dublin.
Orange alert has been announced in Dublin even though the snow is not significant. This warning is expected to last until this afternoon. The capital city is under orange alert, while the rest of the country is under yellow alert.
Commuters may face difficulties on the roads this morning and evening. They reminded everyone to carry a cell phone and dial 999 or 112 for assistance in the event of an emergency. The emergency team rescued a group of hikers from Carrantuohill in Kerry, Ireland’s highest mountain.
It may be March, but it was nothing but winter scenes in Galway today under the falling snow… WATCH: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1265581087649040
People’s lives in Ireland are immersed in snow… Thousands of families, institutions without power… roads with no visibility
The snowfall has made life difficult for people in most counties across Ireland. Thousands of families are in the dark after the electricity supply was broken. More than 8,000 homes and institutions in the country are without power, according to the ESB.
Baltrasna, County Meath, had the most power outages. Over 1,700 people live in the dark here. In Bailieborough, Cavan, 1,385 customers are without power.
People are also affected by travel disruptions caused by hazardous driving conditions. Snow removal from roads is becoming difficult for various reasons. Wexford County Council said it was not practical to make all roads and footpaths safe due to winter maintenance. Meteorologist Gerry Murphy warned travelers to expect danger on the roads and proceed with extreme caution.
13 counties in the country are on orange alert. Overnight, temperatures dropped from zero to negative. The current temperature is minus four degrees Celsius. Orange alerts have been issued for Cavan, Donegal, Monaghan, Clare, Longford, Louth, Meath, Westmeath, and Connacht. In Northern Ireland, Antrim, Armagh, and Down. A snow alert has also been issued. The Met Office of the UK has warned that travel conditions are very bad in some parts of Northern Ireland.
Snow in Ireland ???????? very cold, Watch:https://www.facebook.com/100001423512660/videos/1248740065719781/
Most snow we have seen in Ireland….Chris drew the short straw
Watch: https://www.facebook.com/545436084/videos/976460150396578/
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