Met Éireann has extended its Status Red warning for Munster and Leinster until 6pm tomorrow.
The updated snow and ice warning predicts blizzard conditions tonight and tomorrow for the two provinces as Storm Emma approaches.
The warning issued last night had been already been extended until 3pm.
Irish Army cadets shovelling snow from outside residents' homes in Newbridge, Co. Kildare (Image: RollingNews.ie)It adds that southern and eastern coastal counties are expected to be hardest hit, with high accumulations of snow predicted.
Reacting to the extended Status Red alert, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar warned people to stay indoors as conditions continue to worsen.
The red weather alert has now been extended until 6pm tomorrow. Thanks for heeded our advice this evening. What has been predicted is still on track and conditions will worsen tonight. Stay indoors and stay safe.
— Leo Varadkar (@campaignforleo) 1 March 2018
A separate Status Red warning remains in place for Connacht, Cavan, Monaghan and Donegal.
Met Éireann’s weather reports for at 8pm this evening showed only one weather station recording a temperature above freezing.
Belmullet in Co. Mayo recorded a temperature of 1 degree, while Cork Airport clocked in the lowest at -3 degrees.
An eerie-looking Dublin this afternoon (Image: RollingNews.ie)Meanwhile the National Emergency Coordination Group for severe weather has warned of possible flooding.
It advised that high spring tides coupled with the impact of Storm Emma could result in coastal flooding, with southern and eastern coasts particularly at risk.
It added that the Defences Forces remain on standby.
250 personnel & 85 vehicles deployed in last 36 hours, hundreds more supporting from barracks around the country. Non essential ops stood down as of 4pm, "in extremis" life & death requests only from Regional Emergency Coordination Managers #staysafe #sneachta #BeastFromTheEast pic.twitter.com/LzKoiQyI0w
— Irish Defence Forces (@defenceforces) 1 March 2018
