Weather conditions are set to remain cold and unsettled this week, with continued rainfall forecast, according to Met Éireann.

Today, Monday, February 17, will start a cold and blustery day with occasional sunny spells and scattered squally showers with an ongoing risk of hail and thunder.

According to the national forecaster, a few wintry showers are possible, especially over the hills in Connacht and Ulster.

Maximum temperatures today will range from 5° to 8° in strong and gusty west to southwest winds.

Further showers of rain will continue overnight and will merge into longer spells of rain at times with a risk of wintry falls on higher ground.

Conditions will be cold and blustery tonight with minimum temperatures of 0° to 4°.

Tuesday will be a cold and breezy day also with widespread showers or longer spells of rain for a time in the morning.

The afternoon will bring a mix of bright spells and scattered showers, some wintry with a risk of hail and thunder.

Showers will become confined to Ulster on Tuesday night with frost setting in quickly after dark.

Rain will extend northeastwards across the country during Wednesday morning and will be accompanied by freshening southerly winds.

Heavy rainfall has been forecast on Wednesday in parts of the west and north with a risk of spot flooding, according to the national forecaster.

Heavy rain will clear eastwards into the Irish Sea on Thursday morning with sunny spells and scattered showers following from the west. Thursday will remain cold with highest temperatures of 5° to 8°.