The week leading up to Christmas Day is set to be cold but mainly dry. However, rain, hail or sleet will develop in some regions at various times.
It will be dry in the east at first today (Friday, December 18). Rain in Munster, Connacht and west Ulster will be heavy at times and will spread eastwards. It will clear by early afternoon with sunshine and scattered showers following.
Mildest during the morning with temperatures of 10° to 12° and moderate to fresh south to southwest winds.
Tomorrow (Saturday, December 19) will be cool and breezy with sunshine and widespread showers, many of them heavy or prolonged and some of hail. Highest temperatures will be 8° to 10° with fresh, gusty southwest winds.
Saturday night will bring clear spells and showers of rain or hail, some heavy. Lowest temperatures should be 4° to 7° with fresh, gusty southwest to west winds.
Sunday (December 20) will be cool and bright with sunny spells and scattered showers, some heavy or of hail. They’ll become more isolated in the evening. Highest temperatures are expected to be 7° to 9° with moderate west to southwest breezes.
Monday (December 21) will be cold and mainly dry with sunny spells and perhaps a few showers near west and north coasts. Highest temperatures are expected to be 5° to 8° with moderate westerly winds.
Monday night will be cold and mainly dry with clear spells and frost developing. There may be a little rain or sleet in the south. Lowest temperatures will range between -2° to +2°.
Tuesday (December 22) will start off dry. However, rain and sleet will spread northeastwards across the country through the second half of the day and will continue in many areas on Tuesday night. Highest temperatures will be just 3° to 6° by day, and falling to between 0° and 3° at night.
Christmas Eve (Thursday) will be cold with sunny spells and a good deal of dry weather, but a few showers also. Highest temperatures will range from 4° to 7° with light to moderate northwest breezes. It looks like there’ll be frost on Christmas Eve night.
At the moment, Christmas Day looks like a cold and mainly dry day with some bright spells, but with the possibility of rain developing in the west later.