It will be a mixed bag in terms of the weather forecast for the week ahead, according to Met Éireann.

After a mostly dry and bright start to the week, conditions will become unsettled again from tomorrow, Tuesday (December 16) night, with spells of wet weather forecast for the second half of the week.

Starting with today's (Monday, December 15) forecast, any mist and fog will clear, giving way to a mostly dry day with bright or even sunny spells, the best of these over the western half of the country.

A few isolated showers may affect Atlantic coastal areas. Highest afternoon temperatures of 6° to 10°C are expected, with a mostly light south-westerly or variable breeze, but fresher in the north-west.

A chilly night tonight, it will be largely dry with long clear spells. A few isolated showers may affect Atlantic coastal counties.

A touch of frost is possible with lowest temperatures of 0° to 4°, while some mist and fog patches are possible with a light southerly or variable breeze.

Tomorrow, Tuesday will be a mostly sunny and dry day, with just a few isolated showers affecting Atlantic coastal counties.

However, cloud will start to build from the west towards nightfall. Highest afternoon temperatures will range from 4° to 9°, with a mostly light south-westerly breeze, strengthening towards nightfall.

Tuesday night will start off clear over the eastern half of the country, before cloud spreads across the country from the west, with outbreaks of rain and drizzle following.

It will be coldest under clear skies early in the night, with temperatures dropping to 1° to 4°. However, it will become milder through the night.

Southerly winds will strengthen through the night, becoming fresh to strong and gusty, with gales possible along coasts.

Weather forecast for later in the week

On Wednesday, outbreaks of rain and drizzle will become patchier as they clear eastwards through the morning and afternoon, with a mix of sunny spells and scattered showers following from the west.

It will be milder than the previous two days with highest afternoon temperatures of 10° to 13°. While winds will ease through the morning, it will remain breezy with moderate to fresh south-westerly winds, stronger on western and north-western coasts.

Showers will become less frequent through Wednesday night, with dry conditions developing for most and there will be some clear spells too.

Lowest temperatures of 4° to 8° are expected, with moderate to fresh south-westerly winds easing towards morning.

While the detail is still uncertain, Thursday will bring some wet and windy weather. Persistent rain, heavy at times, will affect parts in the morning and afternoon.

As this clears eastwards, showers will feed in from the Atlantic, some of which will be heavy and with a risk of hail or isolated thunderstorms.

Highest afternoon temperatures will range from 7° to 10°. Moderate to fresh southerly winds will veer south-westerly and increase fresh to strong, with gales possible on some western coasts.

Current indications are that Friday will be a drier day with sunny spells and scattered showers feeding into Atlantic coastal areas.

Highest afternoon temperatures of 7° to 10° are expected, with moderate to fresh south-westerly winds.

Further outlook for farming

While unsettled conditions are set to continue for the weekend, with further spells of rain and showers on the way, there are indications that more settled conditions will develop from early next week.

With further spells of wet weather expected over the next seven days, drying conditions will be poor.

Currently, all soils are saturated with poorly drained soils and moderately drained soils in the west waterlogged.

Due to further rainfall in the coming week, all soils will remain saturated with poorly drained soils and some moderately soils remaining waterlogged.