Quick! Enjoy the sun today as warm spell ends tomorrow

Try to enjoy the late summer sun splitting the stones today because cooler weather is headed our way on Friday, bringing an end to the recent “shorts and t-shirts” spell.

Temperatures on Thursday will reach 20 to 21 degrees this afternoon before rain and drizzle in the west and north gradually spreads eastwards.

Thursday evening will be cooler and fresher but mostly dry with clear spells developing after rain in the east clears in the evening. Lowest temperatures will fall to nine degrees during the night.

Crowds across the nation planning to head out on Friday night to check out the Culture Night offerings in their local area are advised to bring along their trusty rain jacket, just in case.

I mean, it is Ireland after all.

Tomorrow will be mild, with temperatures between 14 to 18 degrees and while there will be good sunny spells in the morning, cloud will build from the west with scattered showers becoming widespread in the afternoon.

Temperatures on Friday evening will also be cooler than recent nights falling to around 7 to 10 degrees.

Saturday is expected to be mostly dry with sunny spells and light breezes with top temperatures reaching 16 to 18 degrees. Clouds will increase with rain along the west coast on Saturday night and spread eastwards through the night and into Sunday morning.

The rain on Sunday is due to clear with sunny spells and top temperatures of 16 to 19 degrees. Isolated showers and sunny spells are expected to continue into next week.

Temperatures earlier this month hit well above the average high of about 17 degrees usually expected in September when the mercury reached 26 degrees in Dublin. The warm conditions were caused by heavy, humid air coming up from the tropics.

Met Éireann’s seasonal report released earlier this month confirmed the Irish summer for 2016 was “mild and dull nearly everywhere”.

Figures from the report showed more rainfall and less sunshine in June, July and August compared to the long-term average.

Generally, temperatures across the country were slightly higher than average. Dublin’s Phoenix Park saw the largest increase, with its mean temperature of 15.7 degrees amounting to a 1 degree rise.

Meanwhile, Sherkin Ireland, Co Cork, reported a decrease of -0.4 degrees in average temperature

In terms of monthly temperatures, June and August were mostly above average.

July’s readings were variable, though the warmest period of the summer did come between the 17th and the 19th of the month.

The hottest day of the year was recorded on July 19th in Mountdillon, Co Roscommon, with temperatures reaching 30.4 degrees, the highest temperature in the State in six years.