Wet start to week with settled conditions to follow - Met Éireann

The coming week will be unsettled at first, with some rain and drizzle, but current indications suggest that a more settled spell of weather is likely to develop towards the end of the week, according to Met Éireann.

It will be dry in many areas today, Monday, July 6, but some scattered showers will occur, most of them in the northwest and north. These will become isolated later, the national meteorological office adds.

Maximum temperatures of 14° to 18° are expected today, while winds will be mostly moderate west to northwest.

Tonight will be mainly dry at first, with clear spells, but cloud and rain will extend from the Atlantic. This will be persistent over the northern half of the country, with some heavy falls in Connacht, but more patchy in Munster and south Leinster.

Minimum temperatures will stay at 7° to 11° in mostly light southwesterly breezes, freshening later on west and southwest coasts.

Drying conditions will be around normal during the coming week. Today will probably be the best day for drying, with generally dry conditions countrywide with a moderate northwest breeze. Conditions will not be good tomorrow or Wednesday, but conditions are expected to improve later in the week.

Today will be a little breezy for spraying in western counties, though conditions will be better in midlands and eastern counties. Again, better days for spraying are forecast from Thursday through to next Sunday.

Regarding field conditions, soil moisture deficits remain high over much of the southern half of the country, from 20mm to 60mm, most extreme in the southeast.

Deficits are lower elsewhere, and soils are in single digits locally in northern and western parts following some very heavy falls of rain in the past week, leading to saturated soils in some parts, Met Éireann noted.

Further rain is forecast for tomorrow, so deficits will reduce in the southwest and west by midweek, however soil moisture deficits will remain quite high in south Leinster.

By this day next week, the national meteorological office expects soil moisture deficits of 10mm in the northwest to 60mm in the southeast, for moderately drained soils.

Tomorrow

Tomorrow will be mostly overcast, with spells of rain. This rain will be persistent and locally heavy in places, especially in Connacht, but more patchy in southern and northern coastal areas.

It will be misty in places, with hill and coastal fog, and maximum temperatures of 12° to 18°, coldest in the north.

Tomorrow night will be cloudy in most areas, with scattered outbreaks of rain and drizzle, but drier in the west and northwest.

It will be misty in places, with fog patches, though a few clear spells may develop in the northwest. Minimum temperatures of 8° to 11° are expected in Ulster and Connacht, while temperatures of 12° to 14° will prevail in Leinster and Munster. Winds will be light west to northwest or variable.

Outlook

Wednesday will be mostly cloudy, with scattered outbreaks of rain and drizzle, mainly in the southern half of the country, persistent in southern coastal areas.

There will be good dry intervals in the northern half of the country, with some bright spells developing, especially in the north and northwest.

Temperatures will max out at 15° to 19°, in light northeasterly or variable breezes, Met Éireann says. It will be mainly dry overnight on Wednesday night, but some further patches of rain and drizzle are possible in southern coastal counties. Mist and fog patches are also forecast in near calm conditions.

Thursday will be mainly dry, with some bright or sunny spells developing, especially in the northern half of the country, but it will be cloudier in the south, with some patchy light rain or drizzle possible at first in southern coastal counties.

Maximum temperatures of 15° to 20° are expected, in light northerly or variable breezes, Met Éireann concludes.