Weather: Ice warning forecast for Northern Ireland until Saturday lunchtime

The Glenshane Pass in the Sperrins captured by Colleen Webb

Further warnings for wintry weather have been issued as the cold snap grips Northern Ireland.

Snow showers brought some disruption to high-ground routes like the Glenshane Pass overnight and on Thursday morning.

The Met Office is warning of similar conditions as temperatures fall several degrees below freezing in the coming nights.

A warning for ice has been issued from 16:00 GMT on Thursday until 12:00 on Saturday.

This is for counties Antrim, Down, Londonderry and Tyrone.

A sharp frost is forecast for most inland areas tonight with temperatures likely to fall several degrees below freezing.

Some countryside areas could fall as low as -4C to -5C.

An overview of the Glenshane Pass is seen in this image taken by Nigel McFarland

The frosty nights with sub-zero temperatures are forecast to last until at least the middle of next week.

• How long will the cold snap last?

• Ice forecast for NI as arctic airs move south

Although many places will stay dry with some sunshine in the coming days, a few showers are forecast and some could be wintry, but mainly over higher ground.

In the Republic of Ireland, a series of warnings have also been issued including for snow and ice for counties Donegal, Dublin, and Wicklow on Thursday night.

An ice warning had previously been issued by the Met Office for Northern Ireland, from 17:00 on Wednesday until 18:00 on Thursday, for some treacherous conditions.