After a cold start to the week, with severe frosts in parts, it is to become milder as the week goes on, according to Met Eireann.

Today, Monday is forecast to be a cold day, but it will be largely dry and sunny, with just a few showers in northern coastal counties.

Top temperatures are expected to range between 4 to 8 degrees Celsisus, in mostly moderate north or northwest breezes.

Another cold night in store on Monday night with severe frosts, mostly across the southern half of the country under cloud-free skies, according to Met Eireann.

Further north it will be a little less cold and it is forecast to stay dry almost everywhere.

The Christmas period has been very dry for the country with rainfall between 25 and 75% over the past seven days and Rainfall forecasts for the next seven days are only around 20% of normal for the bulk of the country.

The mostly dry and settled spell continues into Tuesday, but with a little more cloud around than on Monday.

A few showers are possible on the north coast as maximum temperatures are to range between 4 to 8 degrees in light westerly or variable winds.

Looking to Thursday and the latest charts suggest that rain will move in from the Atlantic, with a return to a milder southerly airflow.

Current indications show that Friday is looking mild as well with scattered outbreaks of rain, but good dry spells also.