Ice and sleet with us for three more days

Met Eireann forecast frost and potential black ice from today to Friday morning, with overnight temperatures dipping to between -1C and -2C.

The Road Safety Authority and gardai warned that motorists are likely to face another 72 hours of challenging driving conditions.

"Drivers should slow down, allow extra time for journeys and remember that braking distances on icy roads can be 10 times longer than on dry roads," a garda spokesman said.

Chaos

However, commuters can look forward to milder conditions from the weekend, with temperatures set to rise to almost 10C with no frost likely.

Black ice caused chaos on roads yesterday, with multiple weather-related accidents reported in Cork, Tipperary, Kildare, Kerry and Mayo.

Treacherous road conditions added a reported 20 to 30 minutes to some morning commutes.

Worst hit was the M8 Dublin-Cork motorway which was closed in both directions following separate collisions near Junction 11 at Cahir, Co Tipperary, before 7am.

Irish Water Safety urged people to exercise extreme care near waterways, with many streams and rivers now threatening to flood because of melted snow from hills and mountains.

Met Eireann said the unsettled conditions will continue for several days.

While afternoon temperatures will soar to an almost balmy 12C today, it will be very cold overnight, with frost likely in most areas tomorrow morning.

Tomorrow will also see thermometers drop back by almost six degrees, with a top afternoon temperature likely to be a chilly 6C.

However, the weekend will see milder conditions and higher temperatures.