No, we’re not joking! Ireland is set to get its third wintry blast of freezing temperatures and snow this spring, following on for Storm Emma and the Beast from the East.

Irish weather experts have warned that a white Easter could be on the cards for Ireland as temperatures are set to plunge below freezing as a Sudden Stratospheric Warming (SSW) over the Arctic Circle is predicted to bring cold weather, starting on Wednesday (Mar 22).

This ridge of high pressure dubbed the “Beast from the North East” is due to make landfall from the Irish Sea.

While the weather may prove unpredictable long-range forecasts predict the presence of an easterly wind from Holy Thursday, resulting in a significant temperature drop.

For now, Paddy Powers bookmakers have slashed the odds for a White Easter in Ireland from 4/1 to 5/4.

The UK Met Office said, “There remains some uncertainty in the forecast for the Easter Weekend, but we are likely to see slow-moving weather systems across the UK, with wetter weather more probable in the south, and with drier, colder conditions in the north albeit with a risk of snow at times."

Read more: The best of Ireland's jokes during Storm Emma and the Beast from the East

Related: Weather