Salting crews on standby amid current cold snap
The cold weather is set to stay
Staff at Cavan County Council are keeping a close eye on weather conditions amid the current cold snap with temperatures forecast to drop to minus five tonight (Wednesday).
A spokesperson for the local authority said: “Cavan County Council’s severe weather team continues to monitor the weather situation, liaising with the National Directorate for Fire & Emergency Management, Met Éireann, and monitoring our own Ice Cast Road Weather Information System to determine the appropriate course of action.
“Salting crews are on standby to treat priority routes, which are determined through traffic volume, strategic route importance and availability of resources.”
The spokesperson added that the council has an adequate supply of salt for the duration of the winter season and urged motorists to take care on the road.
“A map of Cavan County Council’s priority salting routes can be viewed at www.cavancoco.ie/salting. Each salting run sees over 600 tonnes of dry salt and brine deposited across 500km of Cavan roads and takes approximately four to six hours to complete depending on the level of salt applied.”
He urged motorists and road users to take care. “Motorists should slow down and drive with caution on all routes, treated or otherwise.”
Advice to farmers
Teagasc also issued advice to farmers on how to deal with the drop in temperatures.
“Before going out on your land, always tell someone where you are going, and how long you will be gone for. Wear suitable layers of clothing, carry a charged mobile phone and a torch, have grit and salt available to ensure safe access to sheds if required.
“If searching for animals in the snow, wear high visibility clothing so you can be easily seen.”
Met Éireann is forecasting further sleet and snow over the coming days. The national weather forecaster says tomorrow (Thursday) will continue very cold with frost and ice lingering in some areas for much of the day. Temperatures are not expected to rise above six degrees, the coldest in Ulster. Sub zero temperatures are again expected overnight but gradually increasing.