Ireland is facing a sharp wintry spell, with widespread cold, snow and ice warnings in place across the country. 

“If you are venturing outside the house this morning, you’ll have noticed that pretty sharp drop in temperatures,” said guest host, Sean Defoe on The Anton Savage Show.

 Weather expert Carl Nolan joined Defoe to discuss how these weather conditions will effect the country.

"The country holds status yellow weather warnings across Ireland," explained Mr Nolan.

“Temperatures are coming in somewhere between minus one to minus five degrees celsius across the country,” he said, adding that “there is the expectation that we would see icy conditions as well across many rural roads, any untreated surfaces at the moment that is going to be rather slippery.”

Parts of the north are also facing snow, with “a status yellow snow and ice warning in place across parts of Donegal and extending into much of Ulster as well.”

Photo: Eamonn Farrell/RollingNews.ie

“That’s in the form of wintry showers,” Mr Nolan said, noting that “there will be some accumulations of snow” which could be up to three centimetres, especially in inland areas away from the coast and over hills and mountains.

Looking ahead, he warned that temperatures could fall even further, saying, “possibly down as low as minus seven degrees celsius in one or two locations."

“It is a very complex picture at the moment,” he added, urging people to “stay up to date with the forecast” as the cold spell is expected to last “until at least Tuesday.”