Mainly dry day but frost on the way tonight

Weather Update from Met Éireann

Many areas will be dry for daylight hours today, outside of patchy drizzle, mainly in the west, with the best of any sunny spells across the east. However, later this afternoon, a band of heavy rain will move into the northwest and west, sinking down into other areas later this evening or early tonight. Becoming windier through the day, as southwest winds increase fresh to strong and gusty at times, and veering northwesterly with the passage of the rain. Mild; with highest temperatures of 10 to 12 degrees, but turning cold later in the day in the northwest.

The band of heavy and persistent rain will continue to extend southeastwards tonight, with cold clear weather following, and with that clearance reaching the southeast soon after midnight. Windy at first, but the winds will veer west to northwesterly and decrease light to moderate away from the west and north coast. Scattered showers will follow too, mainly into the west and northwest, some of hail and some of sleet later too, with the likelihood of some snow mainly over higher ground in Ulster. A few isolated thunderstorms are likely too in northern parts. Lowest temperatures of -1 to +3 degrees, coldest away from the west coast, with some frost and ice.

Tomorrow (Friday) will be a cold, bright day with sunshine and showers, some heavy and of hail and sleet too for a time; with the showers most widespread in northern parts. Some snow showers are likely too for a time in Ulster, especially over higher ground. Later in the day the showers will become more isolated and will mainly be of rain, though still some wintry showers in northern parts. Highest temperatures of just 4 to 8 degrees and feeling colder in moderate to fresh and occasionally gusty westerly winds.

Becoming milder and mostly cloudy again for the weekend and the early days of next week with some outbreaks of rain. Fairly breezy too with brisk southwest to west winds. Possibly turning colder and drier for a time later next week.

Friday night is promised cold with a scattering of showers early on Friday night, mainly in western and northern parts, some still wintry in the north, but the showers will soon die away. Lowest temperatures of 0 to 4 degrees early in the night with winds generally easing and with some frost and ice forming away from western and northwestern coastal parts. It will become less cold though from the west overnight though as cloud increases from the west and with southwest winds freshening a little. Outbreaks of rain and drizzle will move into northern and western parts of Ulster later in the night.

Saturday will be a mostly cloudy, breezy day and it will be mainly dry to begin in most places. Rain and drizzle will push down from the northwest over much of the rest of Ulster and Connacht too through the morning, extending further southwards through the afternoon and evening, though much of south Leinster and south Munster will hold dry. The rain will be heavy at times in Ulster and parts of Connacht too. Becoming milder with highest temperatures of 8 to 11 degrees in mostly fresh and gusty southwest to west winds, stronger in northwestern and western coastal parts.

Cloudy on Saturday night; with outbreaks of rain in many parts, with some heavier bursts at times. Continuing breezy in moderate to fresh southwest winds. Lowest temperatures of 4 degrees in the north to 8 degrees in the south.

Continuing mostly cloudy on Sunday with outbreaks of rain and drizzle, most persistent and widespread early in the day, but good dry spells developing later. Mild with highest temperatures of 9 to 12 degrees in moderate to fresh and occasionally gusty westerly winds, stronger in western coastal parts.

A few bright spells are possible on Monday, mainly in southern parts, but in general there'll be a fair deal of cloud around. It will be mainly dry for a time apart from a few spots of drizzle, but more persistent rain and drizzle will push into parts of the north and west later. Mild; with highest temperatures of 10 to 13 degrees in moderate to fresh and gusty southwest winds; stronger in western coastal parts.

It won't be as breezy on Tuesday but the mild, mostly cloudy weather will continue with some outbreaks of rain and drizzle, but probably becoming drier from the south through the day. Highest temperatures of 10 to 13 degrees in mostly light to moderate south to southwest winds.

Wednesday looks like it will be mostly cloudy and mild for a time, with a band of persistent rain spreading from the northwest, with a clearance to colder brighter weather following later in the day and early on Wednesday night. Highest temperatures of 9 to 12 degrees but turning colder later in the day with mostly moderate, occasionally fresh southwest winds veering northwesterly and decreasing mostly light.

Further outlook: Some uncertainty but at this stage it looks like there'll be a fair deal of dry cold bright weather with sunshine to follow for Thursday and much of Friday. It looks like there'll be some frost and possibly some fog by night; especially Wednesday night and Thursday night.