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Yellow weather warning for snow and ice remains in NI

News imageWeather Watcher Gary Kernaghan Three people lie on their fronts, with their faces up looking into the camera. They are inside a small white structure made of snow. Inside the on the left is a man wearing a white jumper and black hat. A small girl has on a pink coat and grey and pink hat. The girl to the right wears a black hat. There are two small lights at the entrance that illuminate the structure. Its dark outsideWeather Watcher Gary Kernaghan
The Kernaghan family made use of the snow by building an igloo home for their two daughters in Katesbridge, County Down

A yellow weather warning for snow and ice remains in effect for Northern Ireland until midday on Monday.

The Met Office has warned that snow showers will affect many parts of Northern Ireland over the weekend, bringing some disruption to travel.

The Department for Infrastructure (DfI) said it has deployed 130 gritters to salt the main road network.

A number of schools in Northern Ireland will be closed on Monday. A full list is available here.

News imageTwo children, a boy and girl, in winter clothes standing outside in the snow in front of a street.
Lennon and his sister enjoyed playing in the snow

Lennon, who was out playing in the snow with his sister in Newtownabbey, told BBC News NI he was excited to see how much snow had fallen.

"I wasn't expecting to get this much," the ten-year-old said.

He added he hopes to get a snow day instead of going back to school.

His eight-year-old sister Isla said she had been throwing snowballs at him.

"But he always gets me better than I get him," she said.

News imageWeather Watcher McGilly A field is covered in white snow. Patio furniture can be seen at the bottom right of the frame, it is covered in snow. A bush separates the furniture form a filed where a tree sits in the middle, it to is covered ins snow. It is bright with partial clouds. Weather Watcher McGilly
This garden in Omagh was covered with a thick blanket of snow

'Additional hazard'

Further snow showers are expected throughout Sunday and into Monday, affecting areas that up until now have seen little snow, especially eastern and southern counties.

"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," a Met Office spokesperson said.

"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."

There is the chance of another spell of snow overnight from Monday into Tuesday morning, however no additional warnings have been issued by the Met Office

News imageWeather Watcher Sarah The back garden of house is covered in snow. There are tow small sheds. The one of the left is white, with a snow covered roof and the one on the right is black with a snow covered roof. A car sits in front of the white shed, covered in snow. Behind the garden is a black wooden fence. Beyond the fence is another garden and a group of tall trees covered in snow. Weather Watcher Sarah
Buildings and cars alike were covered in Ballyclare

To combat the snow and ice, gritters have been out across the country.

The DfI said they have deployed "around 300 staff and a fleet of 130 gritters, to salt around 7,000 kilometres of the main road network".

They say further salting is to be undertaken on Sunday morning.

'Frosty start'

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) urged motorists to take extra care on the roads due to winter weather conditions.

"Even the most experienced drivers can find themselves getting into difficulties when the roads are icy," a spokesperson said.

"Ask yourself whether your journey is really necessary."

Belfast City Council announced that Belfast Zoo will remain closed this weekend due to icy conditions.

Derry City and Strabane Council say that all cemeteries in the district will remain closed on Sunday through to Monday afternoon, to be open for burials only.

Sunday's GAA fixture between Donegal and Derry has been postponed due to the icy road conditions.

The Offaly and Antrim match, which had been due to take place in Glenisk, has also been called off.

The cold weekend comes days after Northern Ireland's coldest night this winter, with a very frosty start to New Year's Eve.

In Katesbridge, County Down, temperatures as low as -7C were recorded.

Republic of Ireland warnings

Yellow warnings for snow, ice and low temperatures have also been issued across the Republic of Ireland.

Irish weather service Met Éireann has warned of hazardous travel conditions over the weekend.

A yellow alert for snow and ice is in place for Counties Donegal, Cavan, Monaghan, Louth, & Connacht until 11:00 on Monday.

Wintry showers are expected, with some snow accumulation possible, along with poor visibility and difficult travelling conditions.

A separate yellow warning for low temperatures and ice has been issued for a wide area, with the thermometer expected to drop to between -2C and -5C.

That warning lasts from 17:00 on Sunday until 11:00 on Monday.