This week will be cold and often windy, with fairly widespread heavy showers, some turning wintry in northern areas, according to Met Eireann.

Today, Monday, is forecast to be misty and mostly cloudy day with some patches of drizzle and fog, mainly on Atlantic coasts and high ground elsewhere, at times.

But some dry, bright spells are also expected, the best of these in southern and eastern areas, where the odd sunny break is possible.

It will be a mild day, with top temperatures of 13 to 16 degrees Celsius.

According to Met Eireann, tonight will be breezy, cloudy and misty overnight, with some rain and drizzle at times and with some fog on hills and Atlantic coasts.

Drier weather is forecast over Ulster and much of Connacht later in the night, as lowest temperatures range between 6 to 10 degrees.

Although there will be sunshine over the coming week, drying conditions are forecast to be poor at times with rain and drizzle at the start of the period, in addition to decreasing temperatures and showers for the mid-week period.

Meanwhile, spraying conditions will also be generally poor for the coming week, there may be some opportunity on Tuesday in any dry periods, Met Eireann has said.

While well drained soils are trafficable at the moment, many poorly and moderately drained soils are saturated, with soils waterlogged in some poorly drained areas.

Tuesday

Early rain and drizzle will affect Munster and parts of Leinster tomorrow, Tuesday, clearing to give a mainly dry day, with a mix of cloud and some bright or short sunny spells.

Top temperatures will vary between 10 to 14 degrees, while moderate southwest to west breezes are expected to freshen later.

It is forecast to be dry for a time on Tuesday night, with a mix of clear spells and cloudy periods.

However, a spell of wet and breezy weather which looks set to develop on the northwest coast towards midnight, will moves down across the country later.

The rain is forecast to clear to scattered showers over Connacht an Ulster before dawn and lowest temperatures will range between 4 to 8 degrees.

Wednesday

Wednesday will be cold, with sunny spells and blustery showers, some heavy, according to Met Eireann, with top afternoon temperatures of 6 to 11 degrees.

The best of these temperatures will be over Munster and south Leinster, but it will feel colder in the fresh and gusty westerly wind.

Wednesday night is forecast to be cold and blustery, with showers fairly widespread, some heavy, and with hail and thunder in places.

A few of these showers may turn wintry on northern hills too. Meanwhile, a ground frost will develop in places sheltered from the winds as temperatures fall to between two and four degrees.

Thursday and Friday

Thursday and Friday are set to be cold, blustery days, with stiff west to northwesterly winds, bringing in widespread heavy showers of rain or hail from the Atlantic.

Some are forecast to be thundery and will turn wintry in places, mainly high ground in northern and western areas.

On Thursday and Friday, highest temperatures will reach between 5 to 9 degrees. Both nights look set to be cold and frosty both nights, with further heavy showers, some wintry.

Lowest temperatures overnight will range between zero to 3 degrees.

Current indications suggest that it will remain unsettled and occasionally windy next weekend, with showers or longer spells of heavy rain at times.