Ireland is now odds-on to experience snow this week as a reliable weather expert warns of a 'risk of a cold snap' on the way.
With weather models suggesting that cooler air will bring a cold start to March, bookmakers Ladbrokes have slashed the odds of snow falling in Ireland before the week is out.
Ladbrokes have now priced the possibility of snow falling in Ireland this week at 5/6, while the odds of March being the coldest March on record is now priced at 2/1.
READ MORE - Ireland ‘Beast from the East’ update as maps show exact moment brutal cold snap engulfs country
"It looks like February is going to end on a low on the weather front, and if the latest odds are anything to go by, March is going to get off to a pretty cold and miserable start too," Ladbrokes spokesperson Nicola McGeady explained.
This comes as meteorologists continue to monitor the impact of a sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) event, which is not uncommon at this time of year but has the potential to bring devastating effects. In 2018, an SSW which was dubbed 'The Beast from the East' brought Ireland to a standstill with heavy snowfall and freezing conditions.
Weather expert Alan O'Reilly, who runs the popular Carlow Weather Twitter account, highlighted the fact that models are "now increasing the risk of a cold snap next week."
Meanwhile, national forecaster Met Eireann has confirmed that it is difficult to confidently predict the effects of the ongoing SSW, though the seasonal models suggest that March and potentially even into April will see cooler-than-average temperatures for the time of year, while it will be drier than average.
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