Travel-disrupting weather unlikely to return soon

The snow and icy conditions that disrupted traffic and travel in many parts of the country yesterday are unlikely to return in…

The snow and icy conditions that disrupted traffic and travel in many parts of the country yesterday are unlikely to return in the next few days, according to Met Éireann.

Though snow forecast for Wednesday night did not materialise as widely as expected, many parts of the country did suffer. Driving conditions were particularly dangerous in the North and Border counties and on high roads.

Knock airport was closed for a large part of the day and flights to six British airports from Dublin, Cork and Knock were cancelled or disrupted.

Main roads affected by slippery and slushy conditions included the N17 between Galway city and Claremorris, the N7 in Co Tipperary and through to Co Laois and the N53 in Louth.

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The Wicklow and Dublin mountains were particularly dangerous, especially the Sallygap and Wicklow Gap and Glencullen, Glencree, Dundrum and Sandyford were treacherous at times, according to AA Roadwatch.

In the west, roads on high ground in Mayo, Roscommon, Leitrim and Sligo were worst affected by the weather conditions.

Ryanair cancelled seven flights yesterday due to the closure of British airports including on the Dublin and Cork to London Stansted routes and on the Dublin and Knock to Luton routes. The airline also diverted two flights, from Dublin to Birmingham and Bristol into East Midlands airport.

CityJet cancelled four flights on its Dublin to London City Airport route, and Aer Arann cancelled three, two to Luton from Galway and Waterford, and one from Dublin to Cardiff. Bmi Baby cancelled two flights on its Knock to Birmingham route and diverted a flight from Manchester, due to land in Knock, to Shannon airport.

Flights into and out of Ireland West Airport, Knock - the highest airport in the country - were either cancelled or postponed because of the heavy snowfalls there. By midday, there was snow cover of up to seven centimetres on the runway, according to Desmond O'Flynn, the airport's customer relations manager.

A spokesman for Met Éireann said temperatures around the country would edge up over the next few days.