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Ireland will experience sunny weather and showers across the May bank holiday weekend, with a period of rain and wind arriving on Monday.
Met Éireann is predicting relatively warm weather for Saturday and Sunday, with daytime temperatures potentially reaching 13 degrees.
It will be mainly sunny, with scattered showers throughout the afternoon.
On Sunday, these showers will be confined to northern and eastern coastal areas, while southern regions will be drier.
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Night-time will still be cold, with a touch of frost predicted for Saturday night.
However, the weather will change on Monday as a new weather system will bring widespread rain across the country throughout the afternoon.
Despite turning wet and windy, daytime temperatures will remain broadly the same, between nine and 13 degrees.
Temperatures in general remain lower than average for this time of year.
Meanwhile, the Irish Coast Guard and RNLI have issued a joint safety warning for the bank holiday weekend, after a recent rise in call-outs.
The Coast Guard and RNLI said they are expecting a busy May bank holiday weekend on the coasts and inland waters, with more people enjoying the warmer weather and the brighter evenings.
Both organisations asked people to plan ahead for any water-based activities. They urged swimmers to check the weather and tide before heading to any beach, lake or river, and to be familiar with local currents.
They also urged people to tell others where they are going and when they plan to return. The public were also asked to wear a life jacket or buoyancy aid, to never swim alone and to ensure that somebody ashore can keep watch.
‘Prepare and plan’
“Many of the call-outs we deal with could have been avoided with some simple preparation and planning,” said RNLI life-saving manager, Sean Dillon.
“We want people to be safe on the water and enjoy themselves. Whatever activity you are planning please take a few minutes to check the relevant safety advice and always dial 999 or 112 and ask for the Coast Guard if you see someone in trouble on the water.”
The Coast Guard’s head of operations, Gerard O’Flynn, said they have noted a significant increase in the number of incidents being co-ordinated, in comparison with previous years. Activity levels have exceeded 2020’s figures and are also at a five-year high.
Water Safety Ireland have also called for the public to stay safe while partaking in water-based activities.
The group warned that cooler and more changeable weather conditions will increase the risks for novice open-water swimmers.
They urged novice swimmers to keep the duration of their swim short and advised them to wear a wet suit and to swim within their depth.
Water Safety Ireland also said anglers should wear a life jacket on or near water, and the jacket should be properly maintained and the strap should fit correctly.
Cold water immersion
They also warned of the dangers of accidental cold water immersion.
“When cold water makes contact with your skin, the cold shock response causes an immediate loss of breathing control, possible dizziness and panic,” said Water Safety Ireland in a statement.
“This dramatically increases the risk of sudden drowning even if the water is calm and you know how to swim. For those who survive this but are unable to get out of the water, progressive body cooling leads to hypothermia and muscle cooling, making swimming more difficult or impossible.”
If you do fall into cold water, Water Safety Ireland said you should float or tread water. If possible, you should get as much of your body out of the water, because you will always cool faster in water than in air.
“Wearing a life jacket with a crotch strap will enable you to lessen heat escape by keeping your legs together and elbows by your side,” the statement added.
An awareness campaign partnership between Water Safety Ireland, the RNLI and Irish Sailing has also been launched, calling for a greater awareness of water safety to avoid a repeat of last year’s spike in call-outs for rescue services.
The three organisations are calling on boaters to ensure that they have the necessary training and to take skills refresher classes, for coastal walkers to check tide times to avoid being cut off by a rising tide, and for swimmers to be aware that fatigue can set in quickly in cold water.