A status red snow-ice warning is in effect for all of Thursday until 3pm on Friday nationwide.

An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has advised everyone to remain indoors while the red alert is in place and most particularly to make sure they are back safe inside their homes by 4pm on Thursday.

Met Éireann has said blizzard conditions will develop from the south on Thursday afternoon and evening as heavy snow and strong easterly winds bring snow drifts northwards over the country.

Eastern and southern coastal counties will be worst affected but the entire country is under a red warning.

The weather outlook

Further disruptive heavy snow showers were forecast overnight with significant accumulations across the affected counties.

Met Éireann has suggested that snowfall could reach up to 25cm on Thursday.

Further heavy snow showers on Thursday will bring accumulations of significant levels with all areas at risk, Met Éireann has warned.

School and college closures

All schools, third-level institutions, colleges and centres of further education in status red areas will be closed on Thursday and Friday, the Department of Education has said.

This also includes all Teagasc agricultural colleges.

Mart cancellations

A number of marts have confirmed to the Irish Farmers Journal that they will remain closed on Thursday and/or Friday. These include:

  • Ballymahon Mart, Longford – Thursday sale cancelled.
  • Kilkenny Mart, Kilkenny – Thursday sale cancelled.
  • Ballymote Mart, Sligo – Thursday sale cancelled.
  • Tullow Mart, Carlow – Friday cattle sale cancelled.
  • Mountrath Mart, Laois – Thursday sale cancelled.
  • Blessington Mart, Wicklow – Thursday sale cancelled. Mart will reopen next Tuesday.
  • Carnew Mart, Wicklow – Thursday dairy sale and special ewe sale cancelled but the main sheep sale will go ahead as planned.

    • Milk disruptions

    Glanbia, LacPatrick and Dairygold have all put contingency plans into operation to collect milk and to try to minimise collection disruptions.

    Glanbia

    A Glanbia spokesperson told the Irish Farmers Journal that it worked to maximise milk collections and feed deliveries early in the week to help prepare for the forecast adverse conditions and that it has the following in place:

  • Additional rigid milk collection vehicles – more suitable for snow conditions – have been deployed to the worst affected regions.
  • Where possible, farmers are advised to clear and grit lanes/yards to facilitate safe milk collection.
  • Advisory text messages are being sent to milk suppliers.

    • Glanbia Ireland chair Henry Corbally thanked all employees and contractors for their efforts in challenging conditions.

    He added: “The safety of our farmers, hauliers and employees is our number one priority at this challenging time. Farmers are reminded to farm safely at all times.”

    LacPatrick

    Ian Hamilton, group logistics manager with LacPatrick, said the co-op will monitor the situation on an hourly basis.

    “If the current forecasts are to come to fruition, then LacPatrick suppliers are likely to see heavy snow accumulations this week.

    “Our priority is the safety of our drivers and, unless conditions are favourable, collections will be delayed until safe to do so. As always, our hauliers will do their utmost to get the collection done.

    “We are constantly monitoring the situation and we will look at options such as increasing collections prior to the worst of the weather.

    “We will continue to be in consultation with our suppliers and inform them as soon as we have any developments,” Hamilton said.

    Dairygold

    Dairygold increased its milk collections and 24-hour bulk tank feed deliveries over the last three days to alleviate the disruption caused by Storm Emma.

    However, in the interest health and safety, it will be standing down activities from 2pm on Thursday until 12 noon Friday.

    Farm safety

    Farmers are being urged by the Department of Agriculture to take particular care in relation to their own personal safety and that of family members, which should remain paramount during this difficult weather.

    Management advice

  • Darren Carty says snow drifts and wind chill pose the greatest risk to ewes and lambs.
  • Michael Collins on how to keep your tractor and farm equipment moving in the big freeze.
  • William Conlon writes about how to deal with frozen pipes.
  • Aidan Brennan says farmers should consider milking cows just once a day.
  • Adam Woods writes about temporary shelters and ad-lib feeding during the severe weather.

    • Read more

    Big freeze: farmers recall how they coped with the Big Snow of 1982

    Watch: farmers face ‘beast from the east’

    Storm Emma: who needs a fancy toboggan when you've got the lid of a bucket?