Bright and blustery day ahead with some sleet/snow tonight

Weather Update

Bright and blustery today with sunny spells and scattered showers, some of the showers heavy in the west. Cloud will thicken from the south this afternoon, according to the latest weather bulletin from Met Éireann. Top temperatures of 7 to 9 degrees Celsius. Fresh to strong and gusty southwest winds, gale force and gusty near the west and north coast.

Heavy rain will move up from the south overnight, bringing a risk of spot flooding. The rain will turn to sleet in places, falling as snow about high ground. Lowest temperatures of -1 to +3 degrees. Winds will be light to moderate cyclonic variable at first, but southerly winds veering westerly will strengthen towards dawn, with gales developing near the east Ulster coast for a time.

The national weather forecaster says that tomorrow (Thursday) will start out wet and windy but the rain and any sleet or snow will soon give way to brighter more showery conditions. Some of the showers could be heavy though, with a risk of hail and isolated thunderstorms. Highest temperatures of 5 to 7 degrees Celsius, in fresh to strong and gusty west to southwest winds, moderating later.

NATIONAL OUTLOOK

Thursday night: Thursday night will start out dry and cool but wet and windy conditions will soon push into the west and southwest. Rain will extend countrywide overnight accompanied by fresh to strong and gusty southerly winds, with spot flooding likely in southern coastal counties by morning. Lowest temperatures of 2 to 6 degrees will occur early in the night but it will turn milder overnight with temperatures ranging 7 to 11 degrees by dawn.

Weather will be mild, wet and windy to begin on Friday, with widespread rain and fresh to strong and gusty south to southeast winds. Brighter more showery conditions will extend from the west during the morning with winds veering southwest and slowly moderating. It will stay cloudy in southern counties, however, where the rain may persist for much of the day maintaining the flood risk. Highest temperatures of 10 to 12 degrees.

On Friday night, showery rain will affect southern and western coastal counties on Friday night. It'll remain drier elsewhere with limited clear spells. Lowest temperatures of 5 to 8 degrees in light to moderate southerly or variable breezes, freshening towards dawn.

Saturday will bring showers or longer spells of rain, which look set to feed up over the country from the south on Saturday morning, accompanied by increasingly blustery southerly winds. However, conditions look likely to improve during the afternoon with drier and brighter intervals developing. Highest temperatures of 8 to 11 degrees in moderate to fresh south to southwest winds, strong near coasts.

Many areas will remain dry on Saturday night with clear spells, but mostly cloudy with patchy rain in the east and southeast and isolated showers near west and southwest coasts. Lowest temperatures of 4 to 7 degrees in light to moderate southerly breezes.

Sunday is currently signalled to be dry with some sunshine across the bulk of the country. However, cloudy conditions with patchy rain and drizzle may affect southeastern counties in the morning, and there is a chance that scattered showers may develop over the western half of the country during the afternoon. Highs of 7 to 10 degrees.

Current indications for early next week suggest further spells of wet and windy weather are likely in an overall mild southerly or southwesterly airflow.