Sunny start to the weekend as temperatures to reach 20 degrees

There’s a potentially pleasant start to the weekend for much of the country but no, it’s not quite summertime yet.

Anyone tempted to run for the coast may be less inclined to heed the warnings of Met Éireann who say that despite sunshine and warm temperatures tomorrow and on Saturday, things are likely to turn on Sunday.

Tomorrow though, you would be forgiven for packing your beach bag; it’s likely to be dry everywhere, particularly in the south and southeast with temperatures soaring to as high as 20 degrees.

Later on it’s back to more familiar conditions and Met Éireann say it will cloud over in the north east of the country with drizzle closing in.

Saturday will welcome back those soaring temperatures peaking at 20 degrees again in the east and south although cloudy in the north and northwest.

And that may be the end of the good stuff for the weekend with rain, getting gradually heavier, spreading from the north and east throughout the country and dampening down any summer enthusiasm.

A Met Éireann spokeswoman said: “During Sunday rain in the east early on will clear but there will be scattered showers, particularly in the west.

“Things are good in most places for the next day or two but they will go down hill later on Saturday. The temperatures next week look like being very warm but it’s very unsettled with some thunder at moments.”

Temperatures too will drop from those magnificent highs to around 12 to 15 degrees.