Yellow ice warning for Derry with motorists and pedestrians urged to take care

Meteorologists are warning motorists and pedestrians to be prepared for ice on the roads and underfoot.

"Icy patches may cause difficult driving conditions overnight Wednesday into Thursday,” the Met Office said.

The public are being warned to expect ‘icy patches on some untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths’ and of the potential for ‘some injuries from slips and falls on icy surfaces’.

The cold conditions have arrived ahead of the official start of meteorological winter on Friday.

A northerly airflow from Scandinavia has introduced much colder conditions, with widespread frost and some ice developing.

Met Éireann meteorologist Aoife Kealy said: “An Arctic airmass is going to sink across us this week, bringing noticeably colder conditions than we’ve had lately.

"Daytime temperatures will struggle to get above the low single figures, especially from Wednesday onwards. Night time temperatures will be near freezing or below through the week too so that means there’ll be widespread frost and some ice.

"On top of that, light winds will allow fog to develop overnight, becoming dense in places. Any frost, ice and fog will be slow to clear in the mornings making travel difficult at times. So, extra care will be needed on the roads.”

In Britain snow has been forecast for some areas.

Met Office Chief Meteorologist, Neil Armstrong, said: “We’ve already seen snow settling in parts of eastern Scotland and northeastern England. As the cold air continues to spread across the UK we also expect to see some snow over the high ground of southwest England overnight tonight and through tomorrow."

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