Stay safe.

The government has urged people to take heed of all weather warnings issued over the past few hours as blizzard conditions hit Ireland this evening. Yesterday, the National Emergency Coordination Committee urged that everyone living in Leinster and Munster stay indoors from 4 pm today. People were asked to stay inside until 12 pm tomorrow but that warning has since been extended. The warning is now in effect for the entire country and urges people to remain in their homes until 3 pm tomorrow.

Good morning - RED alert signalling blizzard conditions issued at 11pm last night for entire country.

Advice for Munster and Leinster now applies country-wide. Please be indoors by 4pm today until noon tomorrow (Friday). — Eoghan Murphy (@MurphyEoghan) March 1, 2018

Note - RED now in place until 3PM Friday. People should stay indoors until this time.

The situation will be kept under constant review over the course of the day & night as the weather system develops, please monitor latest alerts. — Eoghan Murphy (@MurphyEoghan) March 1, 2018

Minister Eoghan Murphy said that the situation will be kept "under constant review" as the weather system changes over the course of the day. According to RTÉ, the blizzard-like conditions will be accompanied by 'bitterly cold easterly winds of up to 100km/h' resulting in snow drifts. Transport services including Irish Rail, Bus Eireann and Luas have been cancelled for tomorrow and all Aer Lingus flights have been cancelled until Saturday. Taoiseach Leo Vardadkar attended a briefing at the National Emergency Coordination Centre and said that the threat to the risk of life presented by this extreme weather should not be underestimated.

At the latest meeting of the National Emergency Coordination Group getting an update on extreme weather situation. It is very important the people stay indoors from 4pm. If you are out, please make sure you get home before then. Plan ahead. pic.twitter.com/pJPHdeqkOI

— Leo Varadkar (@campaignforleo) March 1, 2018