Weather: Two further Met Office weather warnings extending into early next week issued for snow and ice across Northern Ireland
The Met Office have issued another weather warning for snow and ice.
A yellow warning for snow and ice across the Province starts at 3pm today, Friday, and stays in place until Saturday midday.
A second yellow warning which excludes parts of the south west has now been issued.
The second warning starts as the first warning ends, Saturday midday, and runs through to midday on Monday.
The Met Office have said:
Snow showers will continue to affect many parts of Northern Ireland over the weekend, before gradually easing on Monday.
The heaviest and most frequent snow showers will be in the north, although along the north coast these may fall as rain or sleet at times.
Whilst not all locations in the warning areas will see snow, around 1-3 cm is expected to have fallen in many places by Monday morning, with the potential for 5-10 cm to build up in a few locations, especially over higher routes, such as Glenshane Pass. Ice will be an additional hazard for many.
How UK weather warnings work
Warnings are issued for rain, thunderstorms, wind, snow, lightning, ice, extreme heat and fog.
These warnings are given a colour depending on a combination of both the impact of the weather may have and the likelihood of those impacts occurring.
Yellow - Possible
Yellow warnings can be issued for a range of weather situations.
Many are issued when it is likely that the weather will cause some low level impacts, including some disruption to travel in a few places.
Many people may be able to continue with their daily routine, but there will be some that will be directly impacted and so it is important to assess if you could be affected.
Other yellow warnings are issued when the weather could bring much more severe impacts to the majority of people but the certainty of those impacts occurring is much lower. It is important to read the content of yellow warnings to determine which weather situation is being covered by the yellow warning.
Amber - Likely
There is an increased likelihood of impacts from severe weather, which could potentially disrupt your plans.
This means there is the possibility of travel delays, road and rail closures, power cuts and the potential risk to life and property.
You should think about changing your plans and taking action to protect yourself and your property. You may want to consider the impact of the weather on your family and your community and whether there is anything you need to do ahead of the severe weather to minimise the impact.
Red - Expected
Dangerous weather is expected and, if you haven’t already done so, you should take action now to keep yourself and others safe from the impact of the severe weather.
It is very likely that there will be a risk to life, with substantial disruption to travel, energy supplies and possibly widespread damage to property and infrastructure.
You should avoid travelling, where possible, and follow the advice of the emergency services and local authorities.