Severe frost and icy patches are expected in Ireland this weekend as the current cold spell continues, with sub-zero temperatures expected at night, according to Met Eireann.

The strong winds, rain, and sleet which hit the country over the past few days, have now died down and most of the country is expected to remain dry, with daytime temperatures between 4 to 7 degrees Celcius.

This weekend, cold northerly winds will create icy patches and Irish motorists have been warned that they could make driving conditions hazardous.

Noel Brett of the Road Safety Authority told the Irish Times that drivers should show extra caution and even consider postponing their journeys unless necessary.

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'Drivers need to pay attention to local weather and traffic reports, be extremely careful and heed any Garda messages in relation to travel.'

'We need to be prepared for these severe weather conditions of stormy winds, patches of ice and snow showers.'

In particular, drivers need to beware of black ice, Brett added, particularly in sheltered areas.

Eircom, the Irish national telephone and internet service, announced this week that it was dealing with a high number of faults on its network due to the recent storms.

More than 5,000 service outages have been reported nationally, with the worst-affected areas located along the west coast and northeast.