Local authorities urged to manage salt during upcoming cold snap - SEE PHOTOS

County councils and other local authorities have been warned by the National Roads Authority (NRA) they must “prudently manage” their salt supplies over the coming days as Ireland braces itself for more arctic temperatures.

Some 26,000 tonnes of salt are arriving in Ireland from early next week which will be used for gritting roads throughout the country.

The NRA revealed that some 75,000 tonnes of salt have already been used this winter.

During a severe weather and transport briefing in Dublin yesterday, Michael Egan of the NRA said that current supplies were sufficient to ensure main roads were being treated.

He added that a number of salt shipments which were due to arrive before this weekend were currently at sea due to the bad weather.

Meanwhile Met Eireann has warned of bitterly cold weather was from Thursday on. Different parts of the country are likely to get snow at different times over the next four or five days, but most areas were likely to see some, they said.