WEATHER FORECAST: MET ÉIREANN has predicted an end to the Arctic conditions – now in their fourth week – by Friday, but snow continued to fall yesterday particularly in the south, where Cork airport was forced to close at about 6.30pm.
While a thaw began in the Dublin area yesterday, Cork had several centimetres of snow and a number of flights due into its airport were cancelled or diverted to Dublin and the situation, according to an airport’s spokesman, was due to be reviewed at 10.30pm.
Heavy snow in the east on Saturday also caused chaos for air travellers as Dublin airport was forced to close for four hours.
Forecaster Gerald Fleming, meanwhile, said he was satisfied with the accuracy of forecasts. Up to 10cm of snow was originally forecast to fall in Dublin yesterday and overnight, but by yesterday Met Éireann had revised this to 3cm to 5cm of snow inland from the capital.
Mr Fleming, speaking at an update on the weather situation by the Emergency Co-ordination Committee, said that while snow was falling in south Munster and north Leinster, temperatures had recovered by a few degrees along the east coast because of strong onshore winds.
He said there was still a risk of snow overnight and there could be falls of sleety rain in the east tomorrow. In the south and southwest, however, temperatures are expected to rise appreciably.
‘‘We’re not at the end of the severe weather yet,’’ Mr Fleming said, with further icy nights to come during the week. However, a significant thaw was expected to set in at the weekend.
Minister for the Environment John Gormley said at the briefing that water and electricity consumption had reached record levels.
Water supplies in reservoirs were at levels typically seen in July, he said, while demand had risen to an all-time high. Sub-zero ground temperatures were leading to water shortages in some parts of the country.
The Minister warned that problems with water supply would get worse as a thaw set in and leaks appeared. He appealed to householders to conserve water.
A spokesman for Dublin City Council said last night if people did not conserve water, “we are talking about reducing pressure and possibly having to switch it off overnight”.
Although electricity consumption had also peaked, there had been no problems with interruption of supply and the ESB had adequate capacity to meet needs throughout next week, Mr Gormley said.
On transport, Mr Gormley said the priority was still to keep main roads open and snow was now the issue rather than ice. Salt supplies for clearing roads were being ‘‘managed’’ and there was enough supply for national primary routes in the next few days.
He advised motorists against using the overtaking lane on motorways where conditions were adverse and to take into account the presence of grit on the road when assessing braking distances.
Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey said it was unrealistic to expect, “in the kind of weather conditions we have had, that every road, every estate would be accessible” as a result of gritting.
The past week has seen record demand for electricity but the rationing of electricity is not being planned, according to EirGrid, which operates the national grid on behalf of the State.
Separately, almost 1,000 blood donors turned out to replenish supplies yesterday and Age Action Ireland said it received a number of calls from older people living in local authority homes who were left without water and central heating over the weekend.