Motorists have been warned of danger from heavy fog across more than half of the country beginning in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
Met Éireann has issued a yellow weather warning stretching until nearly midday that is expected to affect 16 counties in the south and east.
The warnings of dense fog with poor visibility have prompted the Road Safety Authority (RSA) to issue its own alert.
“Dense fog seriously reduces your visibility and makes driving very dangerous,” it said. “Switch on headlights and fog lamps, reduce your speed and keep a safe distance from the vehicle in front. If the fog closes in, reduce your speed further and take your time getting to your destination.”
The counties expected to be affected from approximately 1am to 11am are Carlow, Clare, Cork, Dublin, Kerry, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Limerick, Longford, Louth, Meath, Offaly, Tipperary, Waterford, Westmeath, Wexford, and Wicklow.
The RSA has urged road users to listen to weather forecasts and general advice about driving conditions.
“If you must drive in fog, allow plenty of extra time for your journey,” it said. “Before setting out, check that your car is in good working order, particularly that all the lights, including fog lights, work properly and are clean.”
It has also appealed to vulnerable road-users such as pedestrians, motorcyclists and cyclists to ensure they are clearly visible with appropriate clothing and lights.
Such conditions have been common recently – a mist and fog warning was also in place until Monday morning with road users again urged to take extra care in the early hours of the day.
