Wintry showers possible for Co Kildare tonight with temps as low as -1C as Met Éireann issues Status Yellow Snow-Ice warning for parts of the country

Met Éireann has issued a snow-ice warning for western and northern counties ahead of a cold and wet start to April, with wintry showers possibly on the cards for Co Kildare this week.

The forecaster issued the Status Yellow alert for Connacht, Cavan, Monaghan, Donegal, Longford and Louth earlier today Monday. The 24-hour warning is valid from midnight tonight until 1pm on Tuesday April 2, and will see hail and sleet fall and snow accumulations on high ground.

The forecaster revealed that it’ll be a cold start to the month, with persistent rain set to move across Connacht and west Ulster this afternoon and early this evening.

https://twitter.com/MetEireann/status/1112771375796838407

Patchy rain and drizzle will clear eastwards early tonight and it will become cold for Co Kildare. Scattered showers will develop in the north and west but they will be isolated elsewhere.

Some will be heavy and of hail with risk of sleet or snow on higher ground. Lows of -1 to 2 Celsius with widespread frost in light to moderate westerly breezes. A few mist or fog patches will develop inland also.

Tuesday will be a cold and blustery day with sunny spells and showers. Showers will become fairly widespread during the day. Some will be heavy and of hail, with a risk of thunder. There is a risk of sleet also with snow on higher ground. Highs of 6 to 8 Celsius in moderate to fresh and at times gusty west to northwest winds.

Tuesday night: Cold, with further showers, some wintry. Most of the showers will be in Atlantic coastal counties, but they will occur in other parts also, especially in parts of the east and southeast.

However, many areas will be dry, with clear spells. Minimum temperatures 0 to 4 Celsius, with a risk of frost in places sheltered from a moderate north to northwest wind. (The risk of frost is greatest in the east).

Met Éireann has predicted that it will be 'cold and unsettled for the rest of the week', with a mix of bright spells and showers, some of them wintry.