Council prepares for Arctic airmass for Limerick
AS AN Arctic airmass sets in over Ireland – bringing sharp to severe frosts and icy stretches on roads – Met Eireann has issued a Status Yellow low temperature / ice warning for Thursday night.
Hazardous conditions are forecast with a sharp to severe frost with icy surfaces, as temperatures widely fall to - 4 degrees. The country is already under a winter weather advisory as the cold spell is expected to last over the weekend and well into next week.
Limerick City and County Council has confirmed to the Leader that emergency teams will be on call with “additional staff trained and on standby” to meet the challenges ahead.
“We have a significant winter maintenance team made up of duty engineers, truck drivers and mechanics as well as support and supervisory staff. Our preparations include ensuring resources are in place in terms of plant, drivers and materials for each type and duration of event.
“We have several strategically located salting depots throughout the city and county to assist in an efficient response. Our approach is set out in our annual Winter Maintenance Plan,” said a council spokesperson.
Up to 14 gritting trucks are available but the council has additional plant machinery on standby.
“We also have a limited number of snow ploughs for extreme weather events involving snow,” said the spokesperson.
The council has up to 10,000 tonnes of salt ready to treat roads. However, with approximately 4,000kms of roadway in County Limerick, they warn that it would be unrealistic to expect that every road and pedestrian area in the county can be treated.
Therefore priority has to be given to national route system and strategic regional routes which carries the most intensive volumes of commuter traffic.
Motorists are advised to slow down, be aware of other road users and to allow extra time to make their journeys.
“Every effort is made to ensure that this network is maintained open for traffic at all times.
“In extreme weather conditions i.e. a continuous spell of sub-zero temperatures, attention is also given to regional and local road networks on the basis of need and the availability of resources,” say the council.
aoiseach Micheál Martin has insisted that people, and particularly the elderly, should keep their heating on during the cold snap as “health comes first”.
The Fianna Fail leader, who is currently in Tirana, Albania, was quoted in the Irish Independent amid widespread concern about some being unable to afford to heat their homes.
Mr Martin said there are a range of supports available for those in emergency situations in addition to the “raft of payments” the Government has already introduced.
The HSE has appealed to people to check in on elderly family or neighbours and ensure they have enough food, medicine, and heating supplies.