A number of rainfall warnings for this weekend have been issued by Met Eireann, with up to 50mm of rain expected to fall in places.

A status yellow rainfall warning has been issued for the Connacht region, as well as counties Clare, Cork, Kerry and Limerick.

The warning is set to come into effect later today at 9:00pm; it will remain in place until 6:00am on Saturday, May 27.

Heavy thundery rain is set to fall from Friday evening until early Saturday morning. Accumulations of between 25mm and 40mm are forecast generally; locally up to 50mm of rain is possible.

The Leinster region, along with counties Cavan and Monaghan, will also be affected by a status yellow rainfall warning; between 20mm and 30mm of rain is set to fall in some areas.

The warning will be valid between 3:00am and 3:00pm on Saturday, May 27, according to Met Eireann.

Meanwhile, a status yellow rainfall warning has also been issued for Co. Donegal. Heavy and thundery rain may lead to between 20mm and 30mm of rain falling in some parts of the county.

Higher amounts of rain may be possible in mountainous areas; the rainfall warning is expected to last from 0:01am to 6:00pm on Saturday, May 27.

Outlook this weekend

Today, Friday, is set to be another warm and dry day in most parts of the country; some hazy sunshine is forecast, mainly in the eastern half of the country.

However, cloud is expected to increase from the Atlantic. This will bring outbreaks of showery rain along the southwest coast during the morning, Met Eireann added.

These showers are likely to spread further inland across west Munster and parts of Connacht during the day. Later in the evening, the showers may reach the west Ulster coast.

There is a risk of some heavy and possibly thundery bursts developing in these parts; but it is forecast to remain dry further east.

Temperatures are set to reach highs of 26º; it will be cooler along western and southern coasts, with values closer to 18º to 20º.

Today is expected to bring good drying away from western coastal counties. Heavy rain on Saturday means conditions will be poor, but they may improve again during Sunday and Monday.

Meanwhile, there will be limited opportunities for spraying today and conditions are set to deteriorate on Saturday. A return to dry weather and light winds on Sunday will bring improved conditions once again, according to Met Eireann.

Soil moisture deficits are currently running at between 20mm to 40mm countrywide, it added. Conditions are likely to improve slightly, particularly in the west of the country, with rainfall forecast for late on Friday and early on Saturday.

Tomorrow

Heavy, thundery downpours are forecast to affect much of the country tomorrow morning, Saturday; localised spot flooding is a possibility.

The rain should clear from much of Leinster and Munster by early afternoon, with some sunny spells likely to develop.

However, the rain may linger into the afternoon across Connacht and Ulster; the showers are set to finally clear from the north coast during the evening.

It is expected to be a little cooler tomorrow, with top temperatures of between 14º to 18º forecast.

Sunday

Sunday is likely to be a dry, bright and fresh day; spells of sunshine are set to come and go throughout the day.

Temperatures are expected to remain between 16º and 19º, in light southwest breezes. Sunday night is forecast to bring some dry and clear conditions, but some fog patches are likely to develop.

Currently, it looks as if Monday will be a dry and bright day; some good sunny spells are also likely. However, rain is forecast to develop along the west coast on Tuesday and there is a risk of these showers moving inland throughout the day.