Hail shower warning for drivers as wild weekend is forecast

Road users should take extra care this weekend as Met Éireann has forecast wintry showers of hail for this coming Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

The Road Safety Authority (RSA) is advising drivers to be aware of the dangers posed by driving in hail showers, which can lead to slippery and dangerous driving conditions, especially on higher speed roads like dual carriageways or motorways.

Met Éireann’s five-day forecast has predicted hail, sleet, rain, snow and possible thunderstorms for the weekend, with temperatures set to plummet to as low as -4 on Friday and Saturday.

The coldest temperatures and more wintry weather is expected in the northern half of the country.

The unseasonably cold weather brought to Ireland this week by an arctic front is due to persist all through the coming weekend, with isolated thunderstorms, snow on high ground and persistent downpours.

Temperatures will reach highs of just nine degrees this weekend.

The RSA said the unpredictability and localised nature of hail showers make them dangerous for road users.

“As a hail shower tracks across the country it deposits a narrow band of ball bearing sized hailstones on the ground. Where the track of a shower crosses a road, drivers may suddenly pass from perfectly good road conditions onto a carpet of hailstones.

“This has the potential to catch drivers out if they do not immediately react to the hazardous driving conditions,” an RSA spokesperson said.

The RSA has said if drivers encounter hailstones, they should reduce their speed, without breaking if possible, and warn other drivers by using your hazard warning lights.

“Driving slowly in a high gear will help your tyres maintain grip even as your tyres move over the compacted pellets of ice.

“Accelerate and brake very gently and drive slowly on bends where loss of control is more likely. Avoid sudden steering movements or hard braking,” the RSA said.

Online Editors