Snow and plunging temperatures on the way in Arctic blast

While much of the Province, and indeed the rest of the UK and Ireland, basked in sunshine over the weekend, the Met Office has warned that Easter Monday and Tuesday will mark a return to winter-like conditions.

A spokesman for the Met Office said: “It’s going to turn much colder, there will be a blast of Arctic maritime air coming down from the north.

“This will be introducing much colder air right across the UK.

“Monday morning will see a cold, frosty start with temperatures as low as minus four degrees in low-lying areas and a bit more than that in the towns and cities.

“It will be quite breezy, there will be some sunny spells but also with showers of sleet and snow coming in off the Atlantic.

“You could also see gusts of 30 to 40mph and the maximum temperature should be around four-five degrees by the afternoon. But it will feel much more like sub-zero.”

The Met Office spokesman warned that tomorrow will bring little respite from the cold temperatures, with a mixture of bright spells and snow showers once again in prospect.

“Midweek though should bring a return to less cold temperatures,” he added. “Wednesday might have a cold enough start but temperatures will recover to about eight degrees. The average for this time of year is about nine to 10 so that’s not too bad.

“There will be some cloud and rain on Thursday but Friday brings a risk of northerly winds and more snow.”