Sports spectators and sunbathers are advised to pack their umbrellas as well as their sunscreen today as the fine bank holiday weekend sunshine is due to be interrupted by outbreaks of rain.
Met Eireann says showery weather which affected mostly southern and eastern parts yesterday will be widespread today, and could be heavy or thundery. Large crowds are expected today to watch the final day of the European Open Golf Championship at the K Club in Straffan, Co Kildare, where Darren Clarke is defending a six-shot lead, and the replay of the All-Ireland hurling quarter-final between Clare and Galway in Croke Park, Dublin. There is also horse racing in Naas and Cork and the Mermaid National Sailing Championship at Rush, Co Dublin, which continues until August 6th.
It will remain warm and humid today, with temperatures of up to 24s0]
Celsius, which is above average for the time of year, according to Met Eireann spokesman Mr Michael Cleary. While most areas will have some sunny periods, these will be punctuated by showers, he said.
"It certainly won't be all sunshine and roses for the rest of the week . . . you'll have less chance of escaping the showers today, even if you escaped them on Sunday. All parts of the country will be at risk," said Mr Cleary.The weather is to worsen throughout the week. The bank holiday weekend temperatures peaked at 27s0] Celsius in the midlands on Saturday. Yesterday's high was 24s0] Celsius. July was a very dry month generally, with the midlands, the south and the east getting less than half their normal rainfall. The midlands and eastern areas had 30 to 40 per cent more than their average sunshine during July. Bus Eireann services will operate according to Sunday timetables today and DART services will run on a special timetable similar to the usual Sunday service. A Sunday service will operate on the Dublin-Drogheda train route today and there will be no suburban trains between Dublin-Arklow, Dublin-Kildare and Dublin-Maynooth. Special trains will run from Galway and Ennis to Dublin for the hurling quarterfinal in Croke Park.