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Sub-zero temperatures that have left 20 people dead across Europe could be on the way here.

Met Eireann warned the big freeze is due to hit Ireland on Wednesday night and will stay for the rest of the week.

A spokesman said we are in for “bitterly cold” weather by Thursday as temperatures plummet below -1C.

(Image: Getty)

The cold snap will continue throughout next weekend with severe frosts at night and wintery showers.

Even the Greek islands and parts of southern Italy have been blanketed in snow. In Italy, seven people died of the cold as ferries and flights were cancelled.

In Turkey, the Bosphorus waterway was closed to shipping as a snowstorm hit Istanbul. And at least 10 people died of cold in Poland.

(Image: AFP)

Northern Greece had temperatures of minus 15C, where an Afghan migrant died of cold last week and even the popular holiday island of Crete received a dusting of snow. Three people perished in Czech capital Prague and two Iraqi migrants were found dead in a forest in the south-east of Bulgaria.

Black ice across northern and western Germany caused many accidents and fire-fighters in Hamburg were called to weather-related accidents 415 times over the weekend.

Met Eireann said we should expect snow, sleet, frost, wind and rain. A spokesman said: “Tonight will be cold with scattered showers continuing in the early night but becoming mostly confined to the West and North overnight. Lowest temperatures of 3C to 6C with moderate to fresh west to north-west winds.

(Image: AFP)

“Tuesday will be breezy with a mix of sunny spells and occasional showers. It will be milder than Monday with highest temperatures of 9C to 11C and mostly moderate westerly breezes. Tuesday night will continue mild with scattered showers continuing, mainly in the West.”

The weather will take a turn on Wednesday temperatures of 7C to 9C during the day. Overnight it could drop as low as -1C. There will be more sunny spells and scattered showers, plus fresh gusty winds.

The spokesman said Thursday will be a “bitterly cold day” with temperatures only rising to between 3C and 6C in moderate to fresh westerly winds. He added: “There’ll be a mix of sunny spells and scattered wintry showers.

(Image: Peter Rickman)

“The highest risk of snow will be in the morning and during the evening and night. Frost will develop on Thursday night.”

He added Friday will continue to be very cold with sunny spells and further rain, sleet and snow showers.

(Image: AFP)

The spokesman said: “Temperatures will again reach between 3C and 6C with westerly breezes. There’ll be a sharp frost on Friday night.

“The weekend will continue very cold with further showers of rain, sleet or snow and with sharp or severe frosts at night.”