It will be a bright, sunny and cold weekend once scattered showers clear on Saturday, Met Éireann is forecasting.
There was a mix of cloud and sunny spells around the country this morning with scattered outbreaks of rain and drizzle sinking southeastwards. But this will clear by early this afternoon with sunshine and the odd shower following from the northwest.
Some scattered showers will develop in the west and northwest after dark, with highest temperatures ranging from 6 to 9 degrees amid moderately windy conditions, while it will be fresher at times near eastern coasts.
Saturday night, according to the national forecaster, will be cold and mostly clear with some showers, mainly in the north and west early in the night. Frost and possibly some ice will form in places, with lowest temperatures of a chilly -2 to +2 degrees. Light westerly or variable breezes will allow mist and fog patches to develop.
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Sunday will be predominately dry and bright with just isolated showers. However, cloud will build from the west, with rain following into the west and southwest in the early afternoon, extending eastwards to all areas by early evening as southerly winds increase fresh to strong. Highest afternoon temperatures are expected to reach 4 to 8 degrees.
Met Éireann is forecasting that the week ahead will be changeable, with rain at first before turning largely dry away from Atlantic coastal counties for a time before further rain and showers follow later in the week.
There is some uncertainty in the details for Monday, but indications are that the rain will extend northwards through the morning, turning heavy at times and with strengthening southwesterly winds, possibly turning windy in parts.
Sunshine will extend from the southwest through the afternoon as winds gradually moderate and showers follow, mainly affecting the western half of the country. Temperatures in the early afternoon will reach highs of 7 to 11 degrees.
It will be dry and clear for most areas on Monday night though scattered showers will continue for Atlantic coastal counties with temperatures dipping to a low of 1 degree in mostly moderate southwest winds.
Tuesday will see scattered showers continuing for Atlantic coastal counties. The day will have largely dry spells of sunshine elsewhere with temperatures varying between 7 and 11 degrees in light to moderate south or southwest winds.
Sunny spells and scattered showers will start Wednesday off with cloud due to build from the southwest through the afternoon with rain arriving into Munster during the evening. Highest temperatures of 8 to 11 degrees in light to moderate southwesterly winds.
The forecaster is predicting that the remainder of the week will be generally unsettled, with low pressure dominating.
