After a prolonged spell of dry and sunny weather for the past several days, Met Éireann has said that there will be some heavy showers early this week before drier conditions return.

It will be mostly sunny to begin today (Monday, May 19), apart from patchy cloud and the chance of isolated showers near the east coast. Showers will develop more widely this afternoon and evening, some of them heavy, with spot flooding and isolated thunderstorms possible.

Highest temperatures will range from 15° in the east to 22° in the west, with light to moderate easterly or variable breezes.

Most places will become dry tonight, with patchy cloud and clear breaks, with just the odd shower possible overnight. Lowest temperatures will be 3° to 8° in light easterly or variable breezes.

It will be largely dry with variable cloud and sunshine to begin tomorrow (Tuesday, May 20), but showers will soon develop, some of them heavy, with spot flooding and isolated thunderstorms again possible.

Cloud will gradually build from the southwest during the afternoon and patchy rain and drizzle will push into Munster during the evening. Highest temperatures will be 16° to 20° in light southerly or variable breezes.

Tomorrow night is set to see mostly cloudy conditions with patchy rain and drizzle across southern parts of the country, which will gradually clear southwards overnight, with largely dry and clear weather elsewhere following down from the north.

Lowest temperatures tomorrow night will be 5° to 10°, in light variable breezes with some areas of mist and shallow fog forming around dawn.

Any residual cloud and patchy rain and drizzle in the south will soon clear on Wednesday morning (May 21) to leave a dry and mostly sunny day with just the chance of a few showers bubbling up in southern counties.

Highest temperatures on Wednesday are expected to be 18° to 22° generally, but cooler in north Ulster with highest temperatures of 14° to 16° there, due to light to moderate north to northwest breezes, which will be fresh at times along northern and western coasts.

There will be patchy cloud and clear breaks on Wednesday night with isolated mist patches around dawn. Lowest temperatures should be 4° to 9° in light to moderate northwest breezes.

Thursday (May 22) will see largely dry weather with patchy cloud and sunny spells and just the odd light shower possible.

Light to moderate northerly winds will bring a fresher feel to northern parts of Ulster and Connacht as well as near the Leinster coast, with highest temperatures of just 14° to 16° in those areas, but maximums elsewhere will range from 17° to 21°.

Met Éireann said there is some uncertainty in the forecast for Friday (May 23) but current indications suggest another mainly dry day in the east with sunny spells before cloud increases later.

There will be mostly cloudy conditions in the west, however, with outbreaks of rain pushing in from the Atlantic later in the day. Highest temperatures are expected to range from 14° to 18° in light to moderate variable breezes.

Next weekend is expected to see a return to mixed and changeable conditions, with spells of rain or showers but some brighter, sunnier spells also. Temperatures will return to near average in a southwest to west airflow.