A wet and windy weekend is in store with hail, sleet and snow on the cards for today (Friday, March 26), according to Met Éireann.
It will be cold and windy today with a mix of sunny spells and scattered blustery showers, the national meteorological office says.
Showers will become more frequent this afternoon and some will turn heavy with hail, sleet and isolated thunderstorms.
By evening some showers will fall as snow, especially over higher ground in the west and northwest. Highest temperatures of 6° to 9° are expected, but it will quickly turn colder through the afternoon.
There will be an added wind chill factor in fresh to strong and gusty southwest to west winds, occasionally near gale force in some western coastal parts.
Showers will gradually become more isolated overnight, with most areas becoming dry with clear skies by morning.
Moderate to fresh westerly winds, strong at times on Atlantic coasts, will gradually ease light to moderate overnight. Lowest temperatures of -1° to +2° are forecast, with a risk of frost in sheltered areas, Met Éireann says.
Farming and field conditions
Drying conditions will generally be restricted by the return of rain and showers, however the increase in wind will see some short windows of drying weather at times. A general increase in wind will seriously hamper any spraying, with no solid window for opportunities.
Regarding field conditions, most moderately or well drained soils are trafficable, while poorly drained soils are still at or near saturation. Soils are driest across the south.
Poorly drained soils will become waterlogged in many areas and some moderately drained soils, mostly in the northern half of the country, will become close to waterlogged also, Met Éireann notes.
Tomorrow
Tomorrow will be largely dry with just isolated showers and sunny spells to start. However, clouds will build from the west through the morning, bringing outbreaks of rain and drizzle through the afternoon and evening.
Rain will be most persistent in the west and northwest, where it will turn heavy at times, the forecaster says. Highest temperatures will reach 8° to 11° in moderate to fresh southwest winds, increasing from fresh to strong and gusty through the morning.
Fresh to strong and gusty southwest winds, reaching near gale force in the west, will gradually ease moderate, to fresh overnight. Lowest temperatures of 6° to 9° are given.
Sunday
Sunday will be another wet and breezy day. Rain and drizzle will ease for a time in the morning but further outbreaks of rain will spread from the west through the afternoon and evening, later turning heavy over western counties, the national meteorological office says.
A mild day is anticipated with highest temperatures of 11° to 15° in moderate to fresh and gusty southwest winds, strong along west and southwest coasts.
Sunday night will be cloudy with continued outbreaks of rain, most persistent in the west and northwest.
It will remain breezy too, with moderate to fresh and gusty southwest winds. Lowest temperatures of 9° to 11°, Met Éireann concludes.