A wet and windy weekend is in store over the coming days, with a Status Yellow wind warning issued for the country, to come into effect after midnight tonight (Friday, October 30), according to Met Éireann.
Issued yesterday, the alert will be valid for much of tomorrow, while a weather advisory is also in effect from 9:00pm tonight through to 6:00pm on Monday.
It will be rather cloudy and damp at first this morning with scattered outbreaks of rain and drizzle, Met Éireann says.
A clearance to bright spells and isolated showers will extend across the country from the west during the course of the morning.
Tonight will start off dry and mostly clear, the meteorological office says. However, it’ll become wet and very windy later as rain sweeps northwards over the country accompanied by strong to gale force south or southeast winds.
Some severe and potentially damaging gusts are expected towards dawn. Lowest temperatures of 4° to 7° are forecast, occurring early in the night but turning much milder later with temperatures of 11° to 14° expected by dawn on Saturday.
Farming and field conditions
Drying conditions will generally be poor for much of the time over the next seven days, though there will be limited drying at times between repetitive bouts of rain. Spraying opportunities will also be limited as most days will have rain or showers. Friday is probably the best day for both drying and spraying.
With well above average rainfall expected in the coming week, all soils will be saturated while moderately drained soils will become waterlogged in many areas also by Thursday, continuing through to early next week.
Tomorrow
It will be wet and very windy tomorrow morning with spells of rain. Severe and potentially damaging gusts are forecast for a time with weather warnings in operation.
It will continue windy during the afternoon with a mix of dry periods and squally showers. It will then turn mostly dry by evening with winds moderating. Highest temperatures of 12° to 15° are forecast early in the day but it will turn much cooler by evening.
A further spell of wet and windy weather will spread from the Atlantic tomorrow night.
Rain will sweep into Munster early on and extend nationwide early in the night accompanied by strong to gale force southerly winds.
Minimum temperatures of 4° to 7° are expected, coldest early in the night over Ulster.
Sunday
Rain will clear north-eastwards on Sunday morning to leave it predominantly dry for a time with bright spells and just the isolated shower.
However, another pulse of heavy rain will extend across the country during the afternoon and evening.
Very mild air will move in across the south of the country but it will be cooler in the northwest. A risk of very strong winds will develop for a time, Met Éireann says.