After a cold start to the week, with severe frosts in parts, it is to become milder as the week goes on, according to Met Eireann.

Today, Monday is forecast to be a cold day, but it will be largely dry and sunny, with just a few showers in northern coastal counties.

Top temperatures are expected to range between 4 to 8 degrees Celsisus, in mostly moderate north or northwest breezes.

Another cold night in store on Monday night with severe frosts, mostly across the southern half of the country under cloud-free skies, according to Met Eireann.

Further north it will be a little less cold and it is forecast to stay dry almost everywhere.

The Christmas period has been very dry for the country with rainfall between 25 and 75% over the past seven days and Rainfall forecasts for the next seven days are only around 20% of normal for the bulk of the country.

The mostly dry and settled spell continues into Tuesday, but with a little more cloud around than on Monday.

A few showers are possible on the north coast as maximum temperatures are to range between 4 to 8 degrees in light westerly or variable winds.

Wednesday looks set to be a mostly dry day countrywide with sunny spells and light winds as high pressure continues to dominate.

Looking to Thursday and the latest charts suggest that rain will move in from the Atlantic, with a return to a milder southerly airflow.

Current indications show that Friday is looking mild as well with scattered outbreaks of rain, but good dry spells also.