The weekend looks set to bring milder temperatures and more blustery and unsettled weather according to Met Eireann.

It will be cold, dry and bright this morning (Friday, November 21) with widespread frost and some icy patches.

Cloud will increase from the west through the morning with rain spreading over the western half of the country in the afternoon, reaching eastern areas after dark.

Highest afternoon temperatures will range from 3° to 8°C, turning less cold later, with light southerly winds increasing moderate to fresh.

It will be a wet and breezy start tonight with widespread rain and moderate to fresh southerly winds.

The rain will clear eastwards to scattered showers later with winds easing light westerly or variable and mist and fog developing.

Lowest temperatures of 1° to 5° are expected, a little colder in the midlands, with a touch of frost possible.

Weekend weather

It will be largely dry to start on Saturday with any fog slowly clearing to sunny spells and scattered showers.

It will turn cloudier through the day with patchy rain and drizzle slowly developing in the west and south-west.

It should be a milder day with highest temperatures of 7° to 11° in light to moderate south-westerly winds.

It will be wet and blustery on Saturday night with widespread outbreaks of rain, turning heavy in places.

Moderate southerly winds will increase fresh and gusty overnight, with lowest temperatures of 2° to 7°.

Sunday is expected to be a wet and rather windy day with rain continuing for most and fresh to strong and gusty westerly winds.

It will be drier in Munster with showers and sunny spells and highest temperatures of 6° to 10° are expected.

Rain will gradually sink southwards on Sunday night, with showers and clear spells following by morning.

Lowest temperatures will range from 3° to 6° with north-west winds decreasing light to moderate.

Next week

Most places will be dry and bright with sunny spells and isolated light showers on Monday.

Highest temperatures will range from 6° to 10° in moderate north to north-west winds.

Another generally dry and bright day then on Tuesday, with sunshine and the chance of just the odd light shower.

Cloud will increase from the west later on with highest temperatures of 5° to 9° in a light westerly breeze.

Further into next week the outlook looks more unsettled and milder for the latter half of the week with spells of rain likely.

Farming

Drying conditions during the past week were poor to moderate, limited by low temperatures and wet conditions in the east and south-east earlier in the period.

Early next week will offer little improvement as further rain or showers are expected.

Soils remain saturated or waterlogged in many areas, particularly in the east and south-east following the recent very wet spell.

Although there will be some dry conditions today, poor drying and a wet weekend will prevent any meaningful improvement.

With additional rain expected next week, trafficability will remain poor, and poorly and moderately drained soils are likely to deteriorate further.