Frosty start but sunshine and showers to be order of the day

Weather Update from Met Éireann

Weather conditions will become mild and unsettled over the coming days, according to the latest bulletin from Met Éireann.

Rather cold today with frost and fog patches clearing to leave a day of sunshine and showers. The showers will mainly affect northern counties during the morning but will extend south across the country during the afternoon and evening. Many of the showers will be wintry in nature with hail, sleet and some snow flurries. Highest temperatures of 6 to 9 degrees but temperatures dropping to just 2 or 3 degrees in showers. Moderate to fresh north or northwest breezes.

Showers will become confined to northern and northwestern counties overnight with long dry and clear spells developing elsewhere. Another cold night with frost and ice forming in places along with some fog patches. Minimum temperatures -3 to zero degrees in light northwest or variable winds.

Any frost and fog patches will clear on Saturday morning to leave a predominantly dry day. There will be long sunny spells during the morning but cloud will build in places during the afternoon with a few light showers developing. Maximum temperatures of 7 to 10 degrees with light northwest or variable winds.

A chilly night on Saturday night with a touch of frost possible in the north and east as temperatures fall back to between 1 and 4 degrees. However, cloud is going to thicken during the night with patchy rain developing in the southwest. Patchy rain will then extend northeastwards later in the night clearing any frost as southeast winds freshen in southern counties.

Mostly cloudy on Sunday and becoming breezy with scattered outbreaks of rain and drizzle. More persistent rain will move in across southwestern counties at times. Top temperatures of 8 to 12 degrees in freshening southeast winds. Rather windy on Sunday night with outbreaks of rain in the south and west. Lowest temperatures of 5 to 8 degrees in fresh to strong east or southeast winds.

It looks set to be a wet and blustery day on Monday with a band of rain pushing north over the country followed by widespread heavy showers and some sunny spells. Highest temperatures of 10 to 15 degrees with fresh to strong southeast winds. Cloudy and damp on Monday night with patchy drizzle. Lowest temperatures of 7 to 10 degrees in moderate easterly winds.

Current indications are that Tuesday will be a mild day with widespread showers, some heavy and prolonged. Highest temperatures of 12 to 16 degrees in light southerly or variable winds.

Further outlook: Staying unsettled with bands of rain spreading from the Atlantic at times.