Met Éireann has forecast that from tonight and into Wednesday, temperatures will plunge and there will be the possibility of hail, sleet  and snow.

Tonight temperatures  will dip to freezing  in places.

Tomorrow will be largely dry but showers in the north-west in the evening are predicted to turn wintry, leading to hail, sleet and possibly snow on higher ground.

Deirdre Lowe, forecaster with Met Éireann, says once the rain subsides, wintry showers will start to hit the country.

Wednesday will see these conditions continue, with showers of hail, sleet and snow across the country.

Scattered showers, some of them wintry, will continue through Wednesday night, bringing a risk of icy stretches on untreated surfaces.

Lows of -1C to 3C are predicted.

Thursday will bring wintry showers on high ground along with a wind chill factor, mainly affecting the northern counties.

However, the cold snap is expected to be short-lived as normal temperatures will return on