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HomeNewsWarnings for Clare people ahead of cold snap

Warnings for Clare people ahead of cold snap

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As Clare prepares for Arctic weather conditions this weekend, a number of organisations have issued guidance for road users and home owners.

A status orange snow and ice warning is in place for Clare, as well as for Carlow, Kilkenny, Wicklow, Limerick and Tipperary, from 5pm on Saturday, January 4, until 5pm on Sunday, January 5.

The Road Safety Authority is advising Clare road users to be prepared for treacherous road conditions.

“Remember your only contact with the road surface is your tyres so it’s vital that they are up to the task in icy and snowy conditions,” said a RSA spokesperson.

“Check tyres, including the spare wheel, and replace them if the tread depth falls below 3mm. Check that tyres are inflated to the correct tyre pressure. Be Safe, Be Seen, make sure your headlights and taillights are all in working order. Replace broken bulbs. Remove accumulations of snow and ice from the vehicle.

“Clear your windows and mirrors before you set out, carry a screen scraper and deicer. Don’t use hot water on the windscreen as it can crack the glass.
De-mist the inside of your windows thoroughly. Make sure your windshield washer system works and is full of an anti-icing fluid.

“Be prepared for sun glare by having sunglasses within reach. People travelling long journeys are advised to check weather and road conditions not just where you are starting from, but at your destination and along the route, as conditions may vary significantly. Ask yourself, is your journey essential? Allow extra time for your journey.

“Manoeuvre gently, slow down and leave extra distance between you and the vehicle in front. Use dipped headlights when visibility is reduced. Use your fog lights if visibility drops below 100 metres. Turn fog lights off when visibility improves.”

Meanwhile, Uisce Éireann is reminding customers in Clare to protect their water pipes from the freezing weather. Water expands by nearly 10% as it freezes and turns into ice, which stops the flow of water through pipes. This can even cause new pipes to split.

Uisce Éireann is urging people do their bit to help avoid expensive repairs and a disrupted water supply at home or in their business and farm by taking a few easy preventative measures.

These include checking outside pipes that can become frozen and burst during periods of cold weather and, if possible, turn off water supply to these areas or to any unoccupied premises.

Alternatively, people may consider setting the heating to come on periodically at a lower temperature. This allows warm air to circulate and will help to prevent pipes and tanks from freezing in the cold weather.

“With temperatures dipping below zero it is very important to continue the regular maintenance of your property, protect outside taps and farm troughs, and check empty premises. It also a good idea to familiarise yourself with your own internal water system and particularly how to turn off your supply at the stopcock so that you can protect your property in the event of a burst pipe,” said Uisce Éireann spokesperson, Margaret Attridge.

She also asking people to conserve water and not to leave taps running as this will not necessarily prevent pipes from freezing and can impact on your local water supply.

“We also recommend that people don’t run taps continually as this is not an effective way of preventing frozen pipes and can cause other problems such as frozen drains. It also puts further pressure on water supplies that are already challenged by the freezing conditions. Being mindful of water use at home, on farms and in businesses can make a big difference,” she said.

The Uisce Éireann Customer Care Team can be contacted on 1800 278278.

Andrew Hamilton

Andrew Hamilton is a journalist, investigative reporter and podcaster who has been working in the media in Ireland for the past 20 years. His areas of special interest include the environment, mental health and politics.

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