Did you hear the one about the Irish summer?

It has been a less than inspiring start to the summer so far and things don't look as though they are going to get a whole lot better over the Bank Holiday weekend.

Met Éireann is forecasting a mainly dry but cold start to the weekend with temperatures expected to fall to as low as 1 degree tonight in some places.

Tomorrow will start off dry with plenty of sunshine most areas but cloud is expected to build up during the morning and showers will likely break out later on in the day, particularly in the western half of the country. Met Éireann predicts that winds will be light to moderate with daytime temperatures rising to between 9 and 12 degrees.

The evening will be cooler, with temperatures plunging to close to freezing in many areas. Patches of mist and fog are also likely.

Things look more promising initially on Sunday with cool and bright conditions forecast and some sunny spells. Daytime temperatures will reach to between 10 and 13 degrees.

Scattered showers are expected in northern and eastern counties as the day progresses with the risk of a few heavy showers. Rain will spread from the southwest to most areas by evening with strong easterly winds.

Bank Holiday Monday will start off breezy and wet, with occasional spells of rain in all areas and a slight risk of thunder. Rain will turn more showery in southern areas later in the day but will clear in most parts by the evening. Maximum temperatures will be between 8 to 12 degrees with a moderate to fresh easterly wind.

The situation will remain broadly similar into next week with cool and unsettled weather forecast until Friday.