The weather forecast for the week ahead indicates that it will be milder than recent days, though conditions will remain unsettled.

Starting with today (Monday, September 29), Met Éireann has said that it will be mostly cloudy at first with outbreaks of rain or drizzle moving eastwards, mainly over the northern half of the country, along with patches of mist and fog.

This will clear later this morning and occasional bright or sunny spells will develop, most of these in the east.

However, further outbreaks of rain will develop in the west and north-west during the late afternoon and evening.

Highest temperatures of 14° to 17°C with light to moderate southerly winds, freshening in the west later.

Tonight will be cloudy with outbreaks of rain and drizzle moving eastwards across the country.

There will be mist and fog too with lowest temperatures of 9° to 14° with light to moderate southerly winds.

Tomorrow, Tuesday will be dull and misty with hill fog.

There will be scattered outbreaks of rain and drizzle during the morning and early afternoon, then more persistent rain will spread across the country from the west during the late afternoon and evening.

Highest temperatures will range from 14° to 17° with light to moderate southerly winds, freshening in the west later.

Tuesday night will be cloudy with mist and hill fog. It will be wet at first with widespread rain but the rain will become lighter and patchier by morning.

It is expected to be mild with temperatures not falling below 13° to 15°, in a moderate to fresh southerly breeze.

Wednesday will be cloudy with scattered outbreaks of rain, most frequent in the west and north.

Highest temperatures of 15° to 18° are expected with a moderate to fresh southerly breeze.

Continuing cloudy with scattered outbreaks of rain on Wednesday night. It will be mild with temperatures not falling below 13° to 15°, in a moderate to fresh southerly breeze.

Thursday looks set to be wet and breezy with widespread rain, heaviest in the west and north-west.

Highest temperatures will range from 14° to 16° with a fresh southerly wind.

On Thursday night the rain will clear eastwards early in the and it will become dry with clear spells for a time.

However, more cloud will extend across the country from the south-west later in the night, bringing rain to the west and south-west.

Lowest temperatures of 9° to 12° are expected with light to moderate west to south-west winds, becoming southerly.

Another wet and breezy day on Friday with widespread rain, heavy at times. Highest temperatures will range from 16° to 18° with a fresh to strong southerly wind.

According to Met Éireann, it looks like it will become generally drier for the weekend, although some showers are likely, especially in the north and west.

Drying conditions will be quite good for many early Monday, but will become poorer in the coming week.

There will be good opportunities for spraying on Monday too, but conditions will often be poor during the week with wet and windy weather forecast.

Soil moisture deficits range from 0mm to 9mm, with some poorly drained soils in west Kerry close to being waterlogged.

Soil moisture deficits (SMDs) will decrease over the coming week with well drained soils becoming saturated, while many poorly drained soils will become waterlogged during the period.

A potato advisory is in effect: from Tuesday, September 29 until Wednesday, October 1, weather conditions conducive to the spread of potato blight will affect many coastal regions, mostly in the south, south-west, west, and north-west.