A wet, windy couple of days are in store for the country, Met Eireann predicts, with heavy rain on the cards for Friday in particular.
Today will see mostly cloudy conditions with patchy outbreaks of rain and drizzle that will gradually give way to brighter and sunnier intervals and the odd shower extending from the west and south-west.
Top temperatures will reach 8° to 10° in moderate westerly winds, occasionally fresh and gusty near coasts, the national meteorological office reports.
Further outbreaks of rain will develop in the far south-west this evening and early tonight.
Tonight will be mostly dry at first, with clear spells, but outbreaks of showery rain will extend gradually from the south-west. This will become persistent in some south and south-east coastal areas, but very patchy elsewhere. Clearer, mainly dry conditions will follow by morning.
It will be a breezy night, with mostly moderate south to south-east winds overland, fresh to strong on coasts.
Tomorrow
Tomorrow morning will be bright and dry in many areas, with sunny spells, but some scattered showers will occur, mainly in western and southern coastal areas, extending further inland during the day.
There is a possibility of more persistent rain developing in southeastern and eastern coastal areas. Maximum temperatures will reach 9° to 11°, in mostly moderate south to south-east winds.
The rain should fizzle out in most places after dark, though showers will continue to affect western and southwestern coasts, Met Eireann forecasts.
Minimum temperatures of 4° to 8° are on the cards, while southeasterly winds will increase fresh to strong and gusty, with gales developing in western and southwestern coastal areas.
Friday
Friday will be a wet and windy day, Met Eireann says. Heavy rain will arrive in the west and south-west early on Friday morning, quickly spreading countrywide.
The winds will veer south-west and moderate through the late afternoon and evening as the rain gives way to showers, but strong and gusty conditions will continue in coastal regions. Maximum temperatures will peak at 9° to 13°.
Further rain or showers are on the cards for Saturday and Sunday according to early estimates, with spot flooding possible, according to Met Eireann.