Sunny weekend ahead with temperatures to break 20 degrees

“Glorious” sunshine and warm temperatures are forecast to last all weekend across the country before the rain returns early next week.

Met Éireann has predicted dry conditions, light winds with occasional showers for the next three days.

Forecaster Harm Lyijkx said although the temperatures would not be as high as Friday, where they reached up to 22 degrees, the slight drop would not be that noticeable.

“It will be lovely, glorious sunshine. It will stay dry apart from some isolated showers,” he said.

Mr Lyijkx said temperatures would be between 13 and 17 degrees on Saturday and 15-18 degrees on Sunday across the country.

“It will be warmest in the southwest. The winds will be light. It will feel pleasant but be cooler in the evenings as the temperatures drop,” he said.

It will be cooler along the north and east with some mist and fog.

Monday will be slightly warmer with temperatures rising to 20 degrees and mildest in the south midlands.

The day will be mostly dry with sunshine and cloud expected to build later in the evening.

The change to unsettled and changeable weather is expected on Tuesday as colder air will come from the Atlantic bringing rain.

It is expected to be a damp start with rain and drizzle before becoming brighter and fresher in the afternoon.

Temperatures will remain “reasonably mild” ranging from 12-17 degrees with sunny spells.

“It’ll be more like the weather we normally have,” Mr Lyijkx said.

Co Sligo and Co Donegal experienced the hottest day of the year so far at 24 degrees last Monday, almost 10 degrees warmer than the average for May.

“The average for early May would be the mid-teens. The reason it was so cold about two weeks ago was the air was coming down from the Arctic and that’s why we had snow and hail showers,” forecaster Evelyn Cusack said.

Ms Cusack said the air front coming from France, Spain and the Bay of Biscay up through Ireland had brought the warm and humid conditions.

The warm weather and sunshine arriving this month was a welcome change after the dullest and coldest April in decades.

Official figures released by Met Éireann showed temperatures dropped as low as -3 degrees in Sligo last month.

Dublin recorded coldest the April in 27 years and also endured its dullest April since 1998, according to records from the weather station at Casement Aerodrome.