Yellow weather warning for ice across Northern Ireland

A fresh weather warning for ice is in place across Northern Ireland until 11:00 GMT on Monday.

The Met Office is warning of icy patches on some untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths during the early hours of Monday, which could bring some travel disruption.

Further wintry showers are expected throughout this period, which could see up to 3cm (1in) of snow in a few places.

In the Republic of Ireland, where thousands of properties are without power, a country-wide weather warning for ice will remain in place until midday on Thursday.

Several counties in the Republic of Ireland face school closures on the first day of term following the Christmas break.

The weather is also impacting the health service with the cancellation of all non-urgent outpatient appointments at a number of hospitals.

Some 41,000 premises are without power on Monday morning, mostly in southern counties, according to ESB Networks, which runs the power grid.

More than 40,000 customers are without water with counties Kerry, Cork, Limerick and Tipperary worst affected as a result of the weather, according to Uisce Éireann (Irish Water).

A further 30,000 customers are at risk, as a result of low reservoir levels, and members of the public are being urged to conserve water.

A snow and ice warning for Leinster and Munster and counties Cavan and Monaghan came into effect from 17:00 local time on Sunday and will remain in place until midnight on Monday.

The outlook for Northern Ireland was for the cold conditions to continue, with the weather turning drier and brighter mid-week.

The Met Office said it was safer not to drive in icy conditions, but recommends a number of precautions that drivers should take it if is necessary:

• Looking well ahead for potential hazards and keep your speed down
• Accelerating, braking, steering and changing gear as smoothly as possible to reduce the risk of a skid
• Using a higher gear may be more appropriate to help grip on packed ice
• Using a higher gear helps manage engine power making it easier to find traction

Cyclists have also been urged to stick to main roads, which are more likely to have been treated, and for all road users to leave more time to complete their journey.

NI Water has reminded the public to be aware of the risk of frozen pipes, as they pose a risk to properties and possessions.

Advice includes wrapping your pipes and water tanks up, fixing dripping taps, knowing how to turn off your property’s stop tap, checking your central heating boiler has been serviced and leaving the heating on low if you are going away.