A relatively dry start to the week will give way to rain over the coming days – but drier conditions are expected towards the weekend, according to Met Éireann.
Wet weather is forecast from tomorrow night until Thursday; however, mostly dry weather will follow on Friday and next weekend as high pressure builds, the national meteorological office says.
Farming and field conditions
There may be opportunities for drying away from western areas today, and in many areas tomorrow; however, winds will be light on both days.
Conditions for spraying will also be good today, apart from in western coastal counties where rain is forecast during the afternoon, and in most areas tomorrow.
With rainfall amounts for the coming week forecast to be around average for the time of year, only a slight improvement in field conditions is to be expected, and conditions in southwestern areas may deteriorate slightly, the national weather office says.
Today
Today will start out dry, with sunny spells. Cloud will soon increase from the west, bringing light rain and drizzle to western coasts around noon.
This will very slowly edge eastwards later in the day, with patchy drizzle moving into southern counties also.
Tonight will be cloudy with scattered light rain and drizzle crossing the western half of the country; however, rainfall totals will be small, with eastern areas remaining dry.
It will be milder than recent nights with minimum temperatures of 11° to 13°, in a light to moderate southerly breeze.
Tomorrow
Tomorrow will start out damp and cloudy, with patchy light rain and drizzle clearing eastwards by afternoon, according to Met Éireann.
It will become mostly dry for a time with a few bright spells for the late afternoon and evening before another band of rain reaches the west coast around nightfall.
Highs of 17° to 20° are forecast in a moderate southerly breeze.
Tomorrow night will see rain cross the country, with this heaviest over high ground in the west and north; however, all areas will see heavy bursts at times.
A mild and breezy night is anticipated with lows of 13° or 14° on the cards in moderate southerly winds, fresh to strong on coasts.
Outlook
Wednesday will see a wet, breezy start with rain clearing eastwards to showers through the afternoon.
A mild, humid day is in store, with low cloud and highs of 18° to 22° forecast, in moderate southwesterly winds, fresh to strong on coasts.
Highs of 16° to 19° are expected, in moderate southwesterly winds.
Finally, high pressure will build in towards Ireland during Friday, the weekend, and into the early days of next week. This will bring increasingly dry and settled weather with sunny spells, Met Éireann concludes.