Frosty night ahead with some wintry showers
Weather warning
Temperatures are about to dip as Ireland will come under a Status Yellow low temperature/ice warning tonight.
It will take effect at 9pm this evening with temperatures falling between -1 and -3 degrees generally.
Met Éireann is warning about sharp frost and icy conditions.
Expect hazardous travel conditions on roads and underfoot and travel disruption.
The warning will expire at 10 tomorrow (Saturday), Valentine's Day.
Meanwhile, today's weather could see some sleet in places. It will be cold, with some frost and ice to begin today.
Dry and sunny conditions in the north and west but lingering cloud and rain in the south and east, producing further spot flooding and some sleet in places initially.
The rain will gradually clear south-eastwards as the day goes on with just a few isolated showers following in the north and west. Afternoon highs of 3 to 7 degrees with moderate to fresh northerly winds, strong and gusty at times in the south and east, easing later.
Very cold tonight, with widespread frost and icy patches. It'll be a mainly dry night, apart the odd wintry shower in Ulster and north Connacht. While it will be mostly clear for a time, high cloud will start to build in from the Atlantic overnight. Lowest temperatures of 0 to -4 degrees in light variable breezes.
Tomorrow will be cold, dry and bright to begin with widespread frost and icy patches. Cloud will thicken from the west through the day, with rain spreading northeastwards over the country through the afternoon and evening, turning heavy in parts, and possibly falling as sleet or wet snow for a time, mainly in Connacht and then in Ulster later, before transitioning back to rain. Afternoon highs of just 2 to 5 degrees generally but turning milder from the southwest after dark. Winds will be mostly light southerly to begin, but it will turn windy later as winds back southeasterly and increase fresh to strong and gusty.
Saturday night will be wet and windy for a time, with spells of heavy rain and some sleet and snow for a time in the north and east. Clear spells and scattered showers will follow from the west overnight. Lowest temperatures of 0 to 5 degrees with the fresh to strong and gusty southeasterly winds veering westerly and easing as the rain clears.
Sunny spells and showers on Sunday, some heavy with a chance of hail and perhaps an isolated thunderstorm in coastal parts. Highest temperatures of 7 to 11 degrees. Becoming breezy in the afternoon with westerly winds increasing moderate to fresh and gusty, strong along western and southwestern coasts.
Clear spells and scattered blustery showers will continue on Sunday night, some of the showers heavy and of hail and occasionally merging to longer spells of rain at times in the north and west. Lowest temperatures of 1 to 5 degrees with moderate to fresh and gusty westerly winds, strong near western and southwestern coasts.
It looks like Monday will start out breezy or blustery with showers or longer spells of rain, some heavy with a chance of hail, but there will be sunny spells too. Moderate to fresh and gusty northwesterly winds, strong near western and southwestern coasts will gradually ease by evening and the showers will become increasingly isolated. Highest temperatures of 6 to 10 degrees.
Apart from a few isolated showers in the north and west, it'll be dry for much of Monday night with clear spells. Cloud will thicken overnight with rain moving into the southwest by morning. Cold with frost and some icy patches. Later in the night, cloud will increase from the west, with rain moving into the southwest. Lowest temperatures of -3 to +3 degrees, coldest in the east and north with some frost and icy patches. Winds will be mostly light and variable, becoming light to moderate southeasterly overnight.
Any frost and icy patches in the north and east will soon clear on Tuesday morning as cloud thickens and wet and windy weather extends nationwide by the afternoon. The rain will be heavy with spot flooding possible and the chance of some sleet and snow, especially about high ground. Afternoon highs will range from 2 to 10 degrees north to south, in strengthening southerly winds.
Wednesday: Current indications suggest that after a mostly dry start, further outbreaks of rain will move in from the Atlantic with a continued chance of spot flooding. Afternoon highs of 7 to 9 degrees in light to moderate variable winds.
Further outlook: A mobile Atlantic regime will maintain generally unsettled conditions.