With a RED status weather warning remaining in place for county Laois , here’s an update of all you need to know as people are asked to stay indoors until the extreme weather has passed.
In accordance with national advice, the Laois County Council’s Severe Weather Crisis Management Team urge all persons to remain indoors, do not travel and stay safe.
Gusts of in excess of 20km per hour have been reported on the Portlaoise by-pass this morning with temperatures of -1 celsius.
A number of roads in the county remain impassable and treacherous.
Businesses across the county remain closed, with some supermarkets planning to open later today.
Laois County Council has urged people not to even contemplate any road journeys unless it is an emergency.
A number of cars have been abandoned on roads in Laois, hampering gritting/salting efforts by the local authority.
- Civil Defence crews are active across Laois, supported by gardaí, Laois County Council and the National Ambulance Service.
- Tesco stores remain closed nationwide and are due to reopen on Saturday.
- Lidl stores remain closed and may reopen later in areas where there is less snowfall, if it is safe to do so.
- Dunnes Stores are due to reopen at 1pm today.
- Aldi stores are due to reopen at 5pm this evening.
- Irish rail services are due to resume tomorrow, with crews out clearing railway lines today.
- The road from Mountmellick to Tullamore is impassable, while Portlaoise to Mountmellick is treacherous.
- The Stradbally to Athy and Portlaoise to Timahoe roads remain impassable
- The R430 Abbeyleix–Mountrath is also impassable.
- All GAA games, county trials, and local soccer fixtures have been cancelled at the weekend.
- Confirmations scheduled for Stradbally on Saturday and Camross on Sunday have been postponed by one week.
- The Jason Byrne concert, scheduled for the Midlands Park this evening, has been cancelled, as well as a number of other local events.
Crews are active again across the county today supporting the Gardai, Laois Co Co and the National Ambulance Service pic.twitter.com/lqw3YTaM4d
— Laois Civil Defence (@LaoisCivilDefen) 2 March 2018
Current situation in Portlaoise. I haven’t seen any gritters or ploughs here. Conditions are difficult and deteriorating @ciaranmullooly @midlands103 @LaoisToday pic.twitter.com/02K9hIsGqq
— Bob Flavin (@BobFlavin) 2 March 2018
