Several Irish counties hit with weather warning over snowstorm

The snowstorm has already been named.

The French meteorological service, Météo France, named the storm earlier this week, and now Met Éireann has issued a Status Yellow warning, which impacts Cork, Kerry, Waterford, and Wexford.

Valid from 12pm to 8pm on Thursday (8 January), the alert reads: “Storm Goretti: Rain, heavy at times, will turn to sleet and snow in places on Thursday afternoon, particularly at elevation.

“Accumulations are possible. Potential Impacts: Hazardous travelling conditions, spot flooding, poor visibility, icy patches.”

It comes as a Yellow ice warning from the UK Met Office is currently in effect for the entirety of Northern Ireland.

The alert is scheduled to remain in place until 11am on Wednesday.

Met Éireann’s national forecast for Thursday, meanwhile, states:

As for the rest of the week, Met Éireann adds in its national outlook: “Less cold than of late, but still chilly at times with unsettled conditions bringing showers and further outbreaks of rain, possibly turning wintry with hail and sleet.”