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.

Ireland in the grip of brutal cold snap as Met Eireann's weather warnings escalate – follow live breaking updates on snow, ice and travel chaos

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,