Ireland in the grip of brutal cold snap as Met Eireann's weather warnings escalate – follow live breaking updates on snow, ice and travel chaos

Taoiseach Simon Harris yesterday saying he has been briefed on the “severe cold snap” expected to be felt late into next week

The cold snap continues to cause travel chaos in many areas, while others are being battered by freezing rain in what is the first big freeze of the year

The Departments of Education and Transport and Bus Éireann also met this morning to discuss the potential impacts of the weather on schools, which are due to reopen tomorrow

A 24-hour orange snow and ice warning comes into effect from 5pm on Saturday for Carlow, Kilkenny, Laois, Offaly, Wicklow, Clare, Limerick and Tipperary with the national forecaster warning of “significant snowfall accumulations”.

According to the latest Met Eireann weather forecast for Ireland, temperatures are set to plummet as low as -8 degrees this week with very cold weather on the way. There will be widespread frost and ice along with scattered wintry showers this week with some areas of freezing fog also.

Ireland is in the midst of a cold snap at the moment with freezing temperatures, snow and sleet around the country - this will continue until next Friday before things improve

Ireland is set to suffer from a ‘multi-hazard’ weather event amid warnings from Met Éireann that the country will see a glacial temperature drop and snowfall this weekend. It comes as a status orange snow and ice warning has been issued for Carlow,

Met Éireann has made a slight change to the weather warning for Tipperary as the county is buried in snowfall this Sunday morning with traffic disruption, power outages and many events cancelled including bingo in Cashel on Saturday night. Moyglass bingo on Sunday night has also been cancelled.

Met Éireann has issued a raft of snow and ice warnings for Ireland on Saturday and Sunday as the country braces for snow blast