N56 AT ILLISTRIN COVERED IN ICE AND HAIL – DONEGALDAILY.COM
DONEGAL drivers are being warned of treacherous conditions on many roads overnight.
Hail and snow showers have covered salt laid down on main roads by gritters from Donegal County Council earlier.
Earlier there were long tailbacks on the N56 from Letterkenny to Gaoth Dobhair as traffic was reduced to less than 20km/hr.
With further hail and snow showers expected overnight, Gardai and AA Roadwatch are warning of dreadful conditions in many areas.
It follows storms earlier in the day which knocked out power to hundreds of homes across the county, with the worst hit areas in Killybegs and Ballyshannon.
Shortly before 11pm a new weather warning was issued by Met Eireann for the next 24 hours for Co Donegal.
Damaging wind gusts of 130km/hr are expected on Tuesday.
There were also lightening storms over Ballyshannon and Bundoran as well as Fanad and Inishowen.
Peter O’Donnell from The Meteo Times says more of hail and snow is on the way.
Here’s what he says about Tuesday: Very windy and cold with mixed wintry showers of hail, sleet and snow (accumulating to 3-7 cm on some northern hills) with west to northwest gale force winds 80-120 km/hr, and temperatures steady in the 2-4 C range possibly dropping to 0-2 C where snow accumulates. The rain-snow line will rapidly fall to about 150m or lower and some of the passing squally showers could be thundery with large hail or snow. Blizzard-like conditions may develop in higher sections of the north and occasionally may appear almost anywhere as strong convective showers move rapidly across the country. The sun may come out briefly between these heavy showers. It will feel exceptionally cold in the wind and conditions may become severe for livestock in higher elevations especially. By afternoon and evening, a somewhat less severe interval with temperatures 4-6 C will turn most of the showers back to rain except on highest elevations, but the wind will continue very strong from the northwest. This feature will appear in the north first and Munster could see intervals of snow before it arrives there about sunset.
Tags:
