Environment

Recent warm weather will give way to chillier conditions over weekend

Some thunder and lighting may occur over hills, says Met Éireann

Couples sit and stroll in the sun amid long shadows in the Phoenix Park, Dublin, on Thursday. Photograph: Dave Meehan/The Irish Times

Brian Hutton
Sat Mar 30 2019 - 12:15

The warm summery weather of the last couple of days is giving way to “chillier” conditions over the weekend, forecasters have warned.

After highs of 17 degrees on Thursday and Friday, the mercury is set to plunge again.

Aisling Butler, of Met Éireann, warned it could even get wintry on the highest of hills.

“There is a bit of a change on the way,” she said.

READ MORE

Loki, an 18 month old lurcher, commuting through Drumcondra, Dublin, with his owner, geneticist Ian Richardson, in this week’s warm conditions. Photograph: Fran Veale

“We are not going to see anything in the high teens over the coming days. There is a front pushing in today, with a bit more cloud around and some light patchy rain, especially across the midlands this afternoon.

"There is a band stretching from Dublin to Galway, making it quite cloudy and breezy.

“There will be much cooler weather pushing in behind that, as the winds turn northerly and north-westerly.”

While Sunday will be “a nice sunny day” across the east and north of the country, she cautioned “it will be a little bit chillier at 12 or 13 degrees.”

North Connacht and Ulster will be "noticeably colder" over the weekend, with some showers as well, while next week is expected to bring "more of the same".

“There may even be some thunder and lighting and hail, and it might be wintry over the highest of hills,” added Ms Butler.

Afternoon temperatures at the start of the week could drop as low as 7 degrees.

Thermometers reached 15 degrees in Dublin's Phoenix Park on Friday, with highs of 17 degrees recorded on Thursday, mainly in the east and midlands.

LATEST STORIES