By Lucca Greta Kettschau
Met Éireann’s Yellow weather warning for low temperatures came to an end this morning after a week of severe cold, frost and ice in Galway. Temperatures are expected to become milder for the weekend.
Temperatures in Galway were as low as -6°C on Thursday night, causing citizens to be extra cautious. Cillian Groll, Technical Officer at the University of Galway, said he slipped driving on icy roads on Wednesday, but then “knew it might be dangerous” on Thursday, driving slower on his commute to work.
“The mistake we are making as a city is that we prioritise salting the roads when the footpaths should be the first priority,” Galway City Councillor Niall Murphy said.
Barbara Wadum, Coastal and Marine Environments student in Galway, said she felt safe cycling to college every day. “But one of my colleagues sent a message to Galway City Council about the canal footpaths not being gritted”, she said.
Despite being cautious on Thursday, Mr Groll thinks the issue lays elsewhere. “The roads are probably not gritted enough in Galway,” he said, “but I don’t notice because the traffic is so bad that I don’t get to drive fast enough for the roads to be dangerous.” In his opinion, “as long as they don’t resolve the traffic situation (…) we actually don’t need any gritting.”
Met Éireann has now issued a Status Yellow warning for Galway as Storm Isha is arriving on Sunday. Strong southwest winds and heavy rainfall are expected to start from 11am on Sunday until 6am on Monday. Ireland’s National Meteorological Service warns of difficult travelling conditions, significant coastal waves, as well as debris and loose objects displaced.
For updated weather information, check Met Éireann.