Drivers urged to take care as more snow on the way

More snow is expected overnight across Northern Ireland, the Met Office has warned.
Picture By: Arthur Allison. PacemakerPicture By: Arthur Allison. Pacemaker
Picture By: Arthur Allison. Pacemaker

And there is a yellow warning of snow and ice in place across Northern Ireland for both today (Saturday) and tomorrow, with motorists urged to take extra care.

Today is forecast to remain cold with a maximum temperature of 3°C. Tonight will start off dry but snow will spread northeast overnight, with a minimum temperature of -9°C.

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The snow will continue through tomorrow (Sunday) morning but is expected to clear to leave a dry cloudy afternoon. Maximum temperature 2°C.

The outlook for the next few days is cold and breezy with showers on Monday, cloudier on Tuesday with rain spreading east later in the day and wet and windy on Wednesday.

The Department of Infrastructure said salting of the scheduled road network was undertaken throughout the night and that further salting of scheduled roads considered to be at risk was being undertaken this morning.

Motorists are being reminded that even when salting has been undertaken ice-free roads cannot be guaranteed. They said, “Road users should exercise caution when travelling, particularly when driving on untreated roads.”

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In football, four of today’s six matches in the Irish Premiership have been postponed because of snow and frozen pitches.

The fixtures off are Cliftonville’s match against Glenavon, Linfield’s trip to Carrick, Ards versus Ballymena and Glentoran’s game with Ards.

The two matches which are on see leaders Coleraine host Dungannon Swifts at the Showgrounds and Crusaders travel to Warrenpoint Town.

In the Bluefin Sport Championship, the Loughgall match against Institute is off as is the Lurgan Celtic v Larne game. The Portadown v Dergview game is on.

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Other events have also fallen victim to the weather including Banbridge Academy’s festive craft fair which has been cancelled due to dangerous road conditions.

However, in Portadown, Richmount Community Association’s first screening in its new cinema will go ahead as planned. The movie, appropriately, is the Disney hit ‘Frozen’.