Dry and settled conditions are forecast for over Christmas and into the new year.
Met Éireann said it will be quite cold with some frost at night and in the mornings, though eastern coastal areas are likely to avoid this.
Tuesday will be mostly cloudy with light rain, drizzle and mist at times, especially in southern parts of Leinster and Munster. A few bright intervals may develop. Highest temperatures are forecast to be between 8 and 11 degrees with light, occasionally moderate northeasterly breezes.
Wednesday, Christmas Eve, will be a dry day. It will start off mostly cloudy with a few isolated patches of mist but will brighten up with spells of sunshine developing. Highest temperatures will be 6 to 9 degrees, with light to moderate northeast to east breezes, a little fresher at times along the east coast.
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The forecaster said: “Santa and his reindeer will have very favourable conditions for their trip around Ireland” on Christmas Eve night. It will be a cold, dry night with mostly clear skies. Lowest temperatures of minus 2 to 2 degrees are expected, with a fairly widespread frost and some icy patches, with a mostly light breeze.
It will be less cold and frost free along the east coast, where winds will be mostly moderate with lowest temperatures there of around 2 to 5 degrees.
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Frost will clear to leave a dry, bright Christmas Day on Thursday with plenty of sunshine. Highest temperatures will be between 4 and 8 degrees and feeling colder, especially along the east and south coast with the added wind chill from fresh and gusty easterly winds there.
Friday, St Stephen’s Day, will be another dry day with good sunny spells likely once again. Highest temperatures will again be between 4 and 8 degrees and it will become a bit breezier with northeasterly winds increasing.
Met Éireann said it will be continue to be cold and dry with cloud and spells of sunshine into the weekend. It will be breezy on Saturday with moderate to fresh easterly winds. Winds will likely ease on Sunday, with the likelihood of frost forming on Sunday night where skies remain clear.
The forecaster said high pressure will continue to dominate next week in the lead-up to the new year and probably beyond into next weekend, with mainly dry conditions.
