A warm and largely dry week is in store for the country over the coming days – though there will be showers in places today (Monday, July 12), according to Met Éireann.
The week will be dry for most with patchy drizzle at times, the forecaster says. Warm conditions are expected, with daytime temperatures increasing through the week along with mild nights.
Looking first at today it will be dull and misty in many areas this morning, along with light outbreaks of rain and drizzle, mainly in the east.
Sunny spells and scattered showers will develop in the afternoon, turning heavy at times over the eastern half of the country, bringing risks of isolated thunderstorms and spot flooding.
Highest temperatures of 18° to 21° or 22° are expected in a light to moderate northerly or variable breeze.
Heavy showers over the eastern half of the country tonight will die away early in the night, becoming dry apart from just isolated showers, Met Éireann says.
There will be clear spells too, though cloud will increase from the west during the night.
Lowest temperatures of 10° to 14° are expected, while mist and fog patches will form in light to moderate northwesterly breezes.
Met Éireann forecast: Tomorrow
Tomorrow will be a dry day for most though patchy drizzle will affect northern and western coastal counties at times, occasionally developing further east, the forecaster notes.
It will be mostly cloudy to start with the best of the sunny spells in the south and east, but these will become more widespread through the day.
Highest temperatures will hit 17° to 21° generally, reaching 22° or 23° in parts of the south and east, in light to moderate northwesterly breezes.
Tomorrow night will see a dry start with clear spells – but patchy drizzle will again move in from the Atlantic during the night along with thickening cloud.
Lowest temperatures will hold at 10° to 14° in light westerly or variable breezes, with mist and fog patches forming, Met Éireann adds.
Wednesday
On Wednesday, a mix of cloud and sunny spells is expected for the morning but it will become predominately cloudy through the day.
Patchy drizzle will continue to affect northern and western coastal counties at times but it will hold dry elsewhere.
Highest temperatures of 18° to 23° are expected generally, but it may be slightly cooler in Atlantic coastal counties.
Wednesday night will be a muggy night with patchy drizzle extending further eastwards and lowest temperatures of 13° to 16°.
Thursday
Thursday will be a warm day with most areas staying dry with sunny spells developing in the afternoon, the national meteorological office says.
Patchy drizzle will continue along Atlantic coasts and over Ulster. Highest temperatures of 18 to 23 degrees, coolest in Atlantic coastal counties and warmest in the south and southeast.
Light to moderate northwesterly breezes will ease mainly light variable overnight allowing for mist and coastal fog to develop.
It will be dry with clear spells and lowest temperatures of 13° to 16° over Leinster and east Munster, and 10° to 14° elsewhere.
Farming and field conditions
Drying conditions will be generally poor today with rain or showers and mostly light to moderate winds. There are indications of improving conditions from tomorrow onwards away from southwestern, western and northwestern coastal areas.
Similarly, spraying opportunities will be limited, but indications of improving conditions from tomorrow should allow for spraying.
Turning to field conditions, Met Éireann notes that, due to recent above average rainfall, soil moisture deficits have decreased throughout the country, ranging from -10mm in parts of Connacht to around 40mm in the east and southeast across all soil types.
With below-average rainfall expected over the coming week, soil moisture deficits will likely increase over the coming week, the meteorological office concludes.