This week will start off mainly dry but the risk of showers will increase later in the week, as the National Ploughing Championships get underway, according to Met Eireann.

This morning, Monday, will be cool with mist and fog clearing to give a mostly dry and bright day, with a mix of cloud and sunny spells and just the odd light shower.

Temperatures are forecast to reach highs of between 14 to 16 degrees in mostly light breezes.

Tonight, is set to be mostly dry and cool with a mix of cloud and clear spells and some patchy mist or fog developing in places.

Thickening cloud will bring some drizzle to western coasts later in the night, Met Eireann has said. Temperatures will range from 6 or 7 degrees in some eastern areas to 10 or 11 degrees in the west.

Tuesday

Tomorrow, Tuesday, will see the first day of the National Ploughing Championships get underway in Screggan, Tullamore, Co. Offaly.

It will be mostly dry in many areas with some sunny spells developing in eastern areas, according to Met Eireann. It is set to be cloudy in the west and north with some patchy rain or drizzle at times, with the coast and high ground most affected.

Top temperatures of 15 to 17 degrees are forecast with light or moderate south to southwest breezes, with these turning fresh along western coasts.

Some patchy rain will affect parts of the west while winds will become stronger along western coasts, Met Eireann says. Meanwhile, midland and eastern areas will remain dry for most of the night.

Wedneday

There will be a mainly dry start to the second day of the Ploughing Championships, but a band of rain in the west is forecast to spread eastwards through the day.

It will be a cool day with afternoon temperatures ranging between 14 to 16 degrees.

Thursday

Thursday, the final day of the Ploughing, will be bright and blustery but showers will become fairly widespread and some will be heavy with the risk of isolated thunderstorms in parts of the northwest, Met Eireann has said.

Staying cool with highs of 13 to 16 degrees in blustery southwest to west winds.

Friday

Meanwhile, Friday is set to be milder as winds become southerly and it will be mostly dry in many midland and eastern areas.

Some scattered outbreaks of rain will affect western and northern counties and along southern coasts. Temperatures of between 16 to 17 degrees in fresh and gusty southerly winds are forecast.

Current indications suggest that Saturday will be relatively mild with rain in many places, however it be brighter and cooler on Sunday with some scattered showers.

Field conditions

Light and medium soils are all trafficable, as well as poorly drained soils in the east, according to Met Eireann. Poorly drained soils elsewhere are likely to be close to saturation.

Wet weather ahead will cause further risk of saturation to poorly drained soils and also to some moderately drained soils in the midlands and the northwest.