ALERT: Met Éireann issues fog warning for SEVENTEEN counties as latest storm is named

Met Éireann is warning of difficult travelling conditions - due to freezing fog - in most of the country overnight and early on Thursday morning.

The forecaster has issued a status yellow fog warning for 17 counties - all in the northern half of the country - as the latest storm of the season - Storm Conall - makes its way to the UK and parts of mainland Europe.

The fog warning - which applies to Cavan, Donegal, Monaghan, Dublin, Kildare, Laois, Longford, Louth, Meath, Offaly, Westmeath, Wicklow and all of Connacht - will come into effect at 4pm this Wednesday and will remain valid until 6am on Thursday.

"Patches of fog and freezing fog, thickening this evening and tonight," it reads.

Gardai and the Road Safety Authority are appealing to motorists to exercise extreme caution if travelling while the warnings are in place.

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Separately, the third named storm of the winter is set to largely bypass Ireland.

Storm Conall, was first identified by the Dutch Met Service on Tuesday afternoon and later the Met Office in the UK.

A number of warnings have been issued in both of those countries but none are expected to be issued by Met Éireann for Ireland.