Met Éireann has said it will be mild this weekend with some good dry spells, but colder conditions are expected for the early days of next week.

The weather will be mainly cloudy this morning (Friday, March 7) with some mist and fog, along with patchy drizzle in the south and east.

Showery rain will develop in southern areas this afternoon and extend northwards. Highest daytime temperatures of 10° to 13°C with light to moderate east to southeast breezes.

The rain will clear tonight and be followed by clearer, drier conditions. It will be mild overnight with lows of 7° to 9°C in moderate southeast wind.

As the morning approaches, another band of rain will move up from the south.

Met Éireann said that Saturday will be a breezy day and after the rain moves northwards dry conditions will develop with some sunny periods.

It will feel mild with highest temperatures of 12° to 15° in moderate to fresh east to southeast winds.

Mostly dry on Saturday night as the rain clears northern coasts. Some clear spells developing, with lowest temperatures of 4° to 9° in light to moderate northeasterly breezes.

On Sunday, it will be dry in most parts with sunny spells and light to moderate east to northeast winds. Highest temperatures of 12° to 16°, feeling warmest away from eastern counties.

It will stay mostly dry on Sunday night with long clear spells in the east and south, cloudier elsewhere. Lowest overnight temperatures of 3° to 6° with light to moderate northerly winds.

Monday will feel slightly cooler and it will be breezier, staying mostly dry with sunny spells and some isolated showers. Highest afternoon temperatures of 8° to 13°, mildest across southern counties, in a brisk northeast breeze.

Mostly dry on Tuesday with sunny spells, cloud will build later in the day with some light rain developing on northern coasts. Highest temperatures of 7° to 9° in moderate to fresh northerly winds.

Met Éireann said that the outlook for next week is for conditions to be dry overall "but cool by day and cold by night with a return to frost and icy conditions".

In the coming seven days, Met Éireann expects the wettest conditions in the south and east, but rainfall amounts will still be well below average for the time of year.

It will trend milder than average over the next few days before turning much cooler early next week, overall mean air temperatures will trend near or just slightly above average.

It is expected that temperatures will range between 7° and 8° generally, which is normal or 1° degree above normal. Soil temperatures will also remain above normal.

From Sunday drying conditions will improve becoming occasionally good in sunshine and dry conditions.

Opportunities for spraying will be limited until later this weekend and for the early days of next week.

Met Éireann has said that well drained and moderately drained soils currently have soil moisture deficits of around 0 to 9mm, while poorly drained soils are saturated or waterlogged.

There will be a slight deterioration in soils through the coming week with conditions turning slightly more unsettled before it turns drier and soils improve again.