We are being warned to wrap up and prepare for icy conditions on our roads later.

Met Éireann has issued two weather warnings as temperatures are set to plummet.

A status orange weather warning – affecting Cavan, Monaghan, Donegal, Leitrim, Mayo and Sligo – comes into force at 6pm this evening for 48 hours, while a status yellow warning comes into effect for Munster, Leinster, Galway and Roscommon early tomorrow morning.

The wintry conditions are expected to hit tonight and will last until the weekend – when it is due to warm up slightly.

But forecaster Joan Blackburn says it will not be too severe: “It would be typical during the winter time that we get some kind of winterish days with a mix of hail, sleet and snow and it is that type of weather really.

“It is over Thursday, Friday and even over the weekend, before it gets a little bit less cold, at this stage it is rather short-lived.”