WEATHER WARNING: Laois fog alert from Met Éireann as winter looms

Commuters, parents and other drivers have had a tricky drive to work, school and business due to fog which caused Met Éireann to issue a weather warning for Laois and other counties.

The forecaster's Status Yellow - fog warning also includes  Carlow, Dublin, Kildare, Laois, Longford, Louth, Meath, Offaly, Westmeath, Wicklow, Cavan, Monaghan, Leitrim, Roscommon.

"Localised dense patches of fog making for difficult or dangerous driving conditions," said the forecaster.

The alert is valid through to 11 am on Wednesday, November 29. It was issued at 5:31 am on the same day.

Meanwhile, the Met Éireann national outlook overview says it will become increasingly colder with frost and ice and potentially some wintry precipitation as meteorological winter begins.

National Forecast issued by Met Éireann on November 29 at 8:20am BELOW POST.

Wednesday: Cold and mainly dry with mist and some dense patches of fog in places. Frost and some icy patches in east Leinster and in Ulster. Mist, fog and frost will slowly clear and bright or sunny spells will develop. There'll be a few light showers near coasts. Highest temperatures of 3 to 7 degrees with light east to northeast breezes.

A cold and mainly dry night with clear spells and some patches of mist or fog. A few showers will develop in eastern counties over night, turning wintry on high ground. Frost and some icy patches also with lowest temperatures of -2 to +2 degrees and light to moderate north to northeast breezes.

Thursday: Cold, breezy and mainly dry with frost clearing and bright or sunny spells developing. There'll be a few showers in eastern areas. Highest temperatures of 3 to 6 degrees with moderate north to northeast breezes.

Cold and mainly dry night with clear spells and with widespread frost and some icy patches. Some patches of mist and fog also. Scattered showers will affect western parts of Connacht and Ulster and also some areas along the east coast. Some of these may be wintry. Lowest temperatures of -4 to +1 degrees, with light northerly or variable breezes.

Friday: Morning, frost, and any mist or fog will gradually clear. The first day of the meteorological winter will be cold and mainly dry with sunny spells. There'll be a few showers in coastal areas. Highest temperatures of 3 to 6 degrees with light to moderate northwesterly breezes.

Cold and mainly dry with clear spells and some patches of mist or fog at night. Some showers will develop in the west and north, possibly turning wintry in the north. Lowest temperatures of -3 to 0 degrees with frost and some icy patches.

Saturday: Another cold day with sunny spells for a time. Cloud will increase from the west later. Highest temperatures of just 2 to 6 degrees with light west to southwest breezes. Through Saturday evening and night, there's a possibility of rain and drizzle spreading eastwards and turning to sleet or snow for a time as it does so. Lowest temperatures of -2 to +2 degrees.

Sunday: Cold and mainly dry with sunny spells. Highest temperatures of 3 to 6 degrees with light breezes.

Current indications suggest that Monday and Tuesday of next week will continue cold and mainly dry.