Increasingly unsettled weather on the cards - Met Éireann

A cold start to the week will give way to increasingly unsettled weather, with spells of wet and windy weather expected, according to Met Éireann.

Frost will clear quickly this morning to leave a mainly dry day with sunny spells, the national meteorological office says.

However, a few showers will affect eastern and southern coastal counties during the day. It will be cold with fresh easterly winds, which will be strong along windward coasts. Maximum temperatures will reach 8° to 11°.

Tonight will be breezy with outbreaks of rain and drizzle spreading to southern coastal districts. Elsewhere, it will be mainly dry with some clear spells and just isolated showers.

Minimum temperatures of between 1° and 4° are expected in midland and northern counties but this will range from 5° to 8° elsewhere. There will be moderate easterly breezes over land but fresh to strong at the coast.

As rain or showers are expected on most of the coming days, drying will be only moderate to poor, while spraying opportunities will be very limited after today, Met Éireann warns.

Regarding field conditions, soil temperatures are generally below normal and, with all soils at field capacity, grass growth is poor.

Tomorrow

Rain will spread across Munster and parts of south Leinster tomorrow, and will turn heavy in southern coastal areas.

It looks set to remain predominantly dry elsewhere during daylight hours with just the odd passing shower.

However, rain will extend nationwide during the evening. Fresh to strong east or southeast winds are likely and the best of any sunny spells will be in Ulster. Maximum temperatures will range from 9° to 13°.

Tomorrow night will be breezy and wet overnight with outbreaks of rain spreading northwards across the country. Minimum temperatures of 6° to 10° are expected in fresh south-east winds.

Outlook

Thursday looks set to be mostly cloudy with widespread showers, some of these heavy. Persistent rain will develop in the south during the evening.

Highest temperatures of 12° to 15° are forecast in moderate southerly breezes.

Some drier weather is expected for a time in northern areas early in the night but rain in the south will extend to all areas later. Minimum temperatures will remain at 10° to 12° in moderate southerly breezes.

Meanwhile, it will be mostly cloudy on Friday with rain in the north clearing in the morning to leave it dry for a time; but further spells of rain will move in from the Atlantic during the day.

Top temperatures of 12° to 16° are expected in strengthening southerly winds. Rain will give way to scattered heavy showers overnight.

Minimum temperatures of 6° to 9° are predicted in strong westerly winds, Met Éireann concludes.