Ireland is set to be gripped by an arctic blast next week as forecasters warn that snow could be on the way.

Sub-zero temperatures will hit the country on Sunday night and are expected to last until midweek.

Linda Hughes, a forecaster with Met Éireann, says temperatures will fall significantly from tomorrow evening.

"From Sunday night, temperatures are going to drop back to minus two or minus three degrees", she said.

Widespread frost will form with ice on untreated surfaces pockets of freezing fog will also form in light winds, westerly becoming northerly.

Ms Hughes said that Monday night will have temperatures of minus three or even minus four degrees, staying very cold through Tuesday and Wednesday.

"We're also going to see daytime temperatures staying low so they'll only reach low single figures by day", she said.

"We're in for a spell of cold weather for a few days."

While cold weather is expected for the first half of the week with wintry showers mostly in the north, things will get milder again on Thursday.

The rest of the week should be "mild and changeable".