A mixed bag of weather this week. The midweek especially with rain or showers between Tuesday to Thursday. The Atlantic will dominate this period with low pressure and their weather fronts crossing the country. It will on the mild side both on Tuesday and Wednesday but turning much colder on Thursday with some wintry showers affecting the north west and west of the country. Friday will be a better day but signs of some settled and much colder weather possible from the east as we go through next weekend. High pressure building up from the southwest looks like linking up with a high pressure over Scandinavia but unknown if the cold will win out as the Atlantic could push back the cold and keep it out to our east. More on this through the coming week as signs become clearer.
In Detail
Monday
Bright and dry in the midlands east and north at first with some cloud about. Showery rain affecting the south west will move in across all of Munster and southern parts of Leinster during the morning and afternoon. The rain should be light and patchy. It should stay dry further north. Feeling cool again with highs of 8 to 10C in a west to south west breeze. Later in the day, more general cloud and rain will push into the west. This rain will be heavy with winds picking up strong and gusty from a south west direction.
Tuesday
A cloudy and damp day but feeling mild with temps reaching 11 to 13C which is very mild for the time of year. Winds mostly south westerly and frsh along the west and Munster coastlines. Patches of light rain and drizzle will crop up almost anywhere with the western coastline plagued by low cloud and mist. Mild overnight on Tuesday with no chance of frost. Winds back into the south to soutwest ahead of another weather front and become strong once more.
Wednesday
Wet and windy weather will spread across the country during the day, this rain will be heavy in the west and south of the country with moderate falls further east. Winds may touch gale force from a south west direction at first before veering into the west after the rain clears. After the rain moves out into the Irish sea, clearer weather with showers will folow into the west and as skies become clear overnight, a touch of ground frost may occur in the midlands. Temps will reach highs of 10C in the morning but falling after the rain clears to 5C by evening further falling overnight to 2 to 4C.
Thursday
A bright crisp day in store with a strong west to north west wind blowing. Heavy showers with hail and thunder will affect the western and northern parts with sleet over hills and mountains. Some showers may reach the eastern side of the country while the south will remain mostly dry and bright. Top temps of 4 to 6C but feeling colder in the wind. The chance of frost over night in the midlands and east with a risk of icy stretches on roads where any rain has fallen during the day. Lows of 0C
Friday
A quieter day is likely with high pressure building up from the south west and feeling a milder too as winds settle into a light south west breeze. A good deal of dry weather and good sunny spells developing. However some low cloud and mist may affect the southwest.
The outlook
Signs are for high pressure to be close to Ireland. The positioning of the high is key to whether we get cold and settled weather or milder and damp weather off the Atlantic. The high pressure to our south on Friday may move up across the country and link up with a colder high pressure cell to our northeast. It is also possible that the high pressure to the south may collapse and allow the dominant south westerlies to prevail. It is unknown at this time which will win out, cold from the east or mild Atlantic air. Updates through the week.
Forecast courtesy of www.irelandsweather.com
