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

The weekend starts off cloudy but sunny spells will develop through Saturday and Sunday. Mostly dry but showers will develop in the western and northern areas. It will gradually turn cooler as we go through the weekend. No extreme or significant spell of weather is expected in the next few days, however some overnight ground frost may develop Saturday and Sunday which could lead to slippy conditions on damp roads over the north and north west.

Friday night will be cloudy and wet as a cold front pushes south throughout the night. Mild for most of the night with lows between 6c and 9c, but dropping a degree or two around dawn. Winds, fresh to strong W veering NW later.

Saturday will be cooler but brighter with good spells of sunshine over most of the country but some showers will develop in the west and north. Winds will be west to north west in direction and will be blustery in western areas. Max temps on Saturday of 7 to 9C. Clear skies and lighter winds overland may give way to frost developing across the midlands and east where temps could fall back to 0C but mostly range between 2 to 4C elsewhere.

Sunday, a similar day in store but the west to north west winds maybe a bit stronger in the north. A few showers will still develop and infringe along the windward coasts of the north and west also. Still feeling cool with temps around 7 or 8C by day but falling close to 0C with lighter winds overland at night.

The outlook is for a cool and increasingly unsettled theme. Models are very reluctant to agree on a setup for next week within the medium range, some going for cold and wintry and cool and wet.

Forecast courtesy of http://www.irelandsweather.com

MONDAY NIGHT: Cool overnight with lows of between 1c and 6c, mildest under cloud which will gradually increase throughout the night. Temperatures will rise during the night accompanied with a freshening southerly wind. Before dawn some rain will develop in the SW.

TUESDAY: Rain in the SW will steadily spread to most areas during the morning (the far NW may escape dry). Some heavier bursts locally. During the early afternoon, the rain will ease to drizzle and it will become milder. Highs will reach 8c to 11c in a fresh SW wind. OVERNIGHT: Overcast with outbreaks of light drizzle. Lows of 6c to 9c. Heavier rain will develop along the west and NW coast before dawn in a moderate SW wind.

WEDNESDAY: Another wet day is forecast, rain in the W and NW will spread southeastwards across the state during the morning and early afternoon, again some heavy bursts likely. A clearance to colder showery weather follows as winds switch from the SW to W and increase fresh to strong. Highs of 7c to 10c early in the day will drop after the rain has cleared to between 4c and 7c. OVERNIGHT: Continuing breezy with scattered showers, heaviest and most frequent in the NW and W. Lows of 2c to 6c. Some showers will turn wintry during the night.

THURSDAY: A cold, raw day in a biting WNW wind and widespread heavy showers of rain, hail and sleet with snow on high ground. Highs will reach 3c to 6c or 7c. OVERNIGHT: Showers will die out, but continuing in the NW and NE coastal counties. Lows of 1c to 4c in a brisk NW breeze. Some local ground frost.

FRIDAY: Overcast but milder in a NW breeze. Highs of 6c to 9c. Some drizzle and light rain at times.

OUTLOOK: There is major uncertain regarding this weekends weather… One scenario sees the milder NW flow continuing with further light rain and drizzle, while in Another scenario there is a possibility of a cold spell of weather returning from the north with spells of sleet and snow likely.