A mild, windy weekend is in store for the country over the coming few days with patchy rain and drizzle expected in places, according to Met Eireann.
High pressure will decline slowly to the south-west over the coming days allowing a gradual transition to a more Atlantic type weather regime, the national meteorological office says.
It will continue to be generally milder than average up until around midweek next week, with temperatures returning to nearer normal by then. However, it will be noticeably windier for many areas over the coming weekend.
Spraying conditions will be hampered by mist, drizzle and later wind.
Regarding field conditions, poorly-drained soils are near saturation level, but otherwise soils are trafficable due to the drier than normal conditions over the past two weeks.
With poor drying conditions but also well below average rainfall for the week ahead, soil moisture conditions will stay mostly unchanged.
Today
Today will be largely dry but rather cloudy with just a few scattered patches of mist and drizzle, though a few brighter intervals will also occur.
Highest temperatures will peak at 8° to 11° while light west to southwest breezes will freshen in the west and northwest later.
Tonight will be dry in most places at first with patchy mist and fog. Outbreaks of rain and drizzle will push into the west and north-west before midnight, preceded by freshening west to southwest winds.
The damp and breezy conditions will extend southeastwards over the rest of the country overnight, but the rain and drizzle will become lighter and patchier as it does so. Lowest temperatures of 5° to 8°.
Tomorrow
Tomorrow will be a breezy and mostly cloudy day with further patchy rain, drizzle and mist, mainly affecting Ulster, though it will be largely dry elsewhere.
It will be relatively mild again with highest temperatures ranging 8° to 11°. Moderate to fresh west to north-west breezes will be strong and gusty at times near north and north-west coasts.
Tomorrow night is expected to be mild and windy; it will be largely dry at first with just scattered patches of drizzle in parts of the west and north.
Lows of 7° to 9° are predicted in moderate to fresh and gusty westerly winds, strong to near gale at the coasts.
Sunday
There will be a damp, cloudy and blustery start to Sunday with patchy outbreaks of rain and drizzle clearing southwards followed by drier and somewhat brighter conditions, although there will still be a good deal of cloud overall.
A few showers will affect the north Ulster coast. Afternoon highs will range from 7° to 11°, with the coldest temperatures in the north.
Moderate to fresh and gusty northwesterly winds are expected, strong to near gale force at the coasts.