Although the country is currently experiencing a rather unusual spell of mild weather leading forecasters say we could be in for a more normal cold snap by Christmas day.
Met Eireann say temperatures will dramatically drop from a mild 12C to a chilly 1C in parts of the country by Christmas Eve, however the national forecaster has ruled out the possibility of a White Christmas, saying the fall in temperatures is more likely to bring icy conditions rather than snow. According to meteorologist Pat Clarke Christmas Eve and Christmas morning will start off cold with frost and will be bitterly cold throughout day.
Mr Clarke told reporters: “The change in weather is nothing serious, but given we have had little to none this month it will be a change. “The temperatures will be up and down all week. Some days they will be up at 10C to 12C and other days it will be closer to 7C, with temperatures dropping a lot lower later in the week, maybe between 1C and 5C around normal for the time of year.”
The news of the upcoming cold snap comes after leading forecasters here and the UK ruled out the possibility of a white Christmas only last week, but it is understood that the sudden change in temperatures comes as the winds have switched from a southerly flow to northerly flow, meaning the country will experience more colder conditions in the coming weeks.