Several areas across the country are already blanketed in snow - with more on the way. Met Eireann says the bitter cold is expected to persist through the rest of the working week. It has extended a nationwide Status Yellow low temperature and ice warning until midnight on Friday,

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Met Eireann has extended the weather warning for the entire country as the national forecaster warns of "very cold nights with widespread frost and ice" and "temperatures struggling to get above freezing during the day.

Tens of thousands of homes and businesses in Ireland are without water and electricity amid a bitter cold snap that has left people stranded in their homes and cars abandoned. The severe winter weather has led to the closure of some schools and some public transport restrictions as well as the cancellation of several healthcare services.

The Departments of Education and Transport and Bus Éireann also met this morning to discuss the potential impacts of the weather on schools, which are due to reopen tomorrow

Met Eireann forecasters are predicting heavy rain to turn to sleet and "significant snowfall accumulations" across Munster in the coming hours as Ireland's deep freeze goes on. It's been a very frosty start to the year,