Another cold day with wind rising and snow on the way

Weather Update

Unsettled weather conditions are being forecast by Met Éireann for the coming days. The national weather forecaster says it will stay cold over the weekend but turning milder early next week.

This morning will be cold with clear spells and frost in many areas. Scattered showers continue to feed down across Ulster, but other areas will be dry and bright for much of the day, with sunny spells and just isolated showers. Cloud will increase later in the day, bringing more frequent showers into the west and northwest by evening. It will be another cold day with highest afternoon temperatures of 5 to 8 degrees, in light to moderate northwesterly winds, fresh around the coast.

It will become windy through the night as fresh to strong and gusty westerly winds gradually develop, with gales on north and northwest coasts. There will be widespread blustery showers too, tracking southeastwards across the country. It will be coldest early in the night, with minimum temperatures of 0 to 5 degrees.

Friday will be windy with fresh to strong and gusty west to northwest winds, strengthening to near gale force in the northwest later. There will also be gales around the coast. There will be sunny spells and widespread blustery showers and some of the showers will turn to sleet later, with snow possible on high ground. Temperatures in the early afternoon will be around 4 to 9 degrees but it will get colder through the afternoon.

It will be very windy on Friday night with strong to near gale force north to northwest winds and gales around the coast. It will become dry and clear in most areas overnight, but showers will continue in the north and west, with some of these showers wintry. Lowest temperatures of 1 to 4 degrees.

It will still be quite windy again on Saturday morning with fresh to strong north to northwest winds, but it will become gradually calmer through the day. It will be a cold and bright day with long spells of sunshine and while most areas will stay dry, there will be a few showers in the north and towards the west coast. Cloud will increase over the western half of the country later. Afternoon temperatures of just 4 to 6 degrees.

Early Saturday night will be cloudy, with outbreaks of rain and drizzle moving into western areas. This will move eastwards across the western half of the country overnight. Lowest temperatures of -1 to +4 degrees, coldest in the east, with light to moderate west to northwest winds.

Sunday will be cloudy with outbreaks of rain and drizzle, heaviest in the northwest. It will be cold in the morning and will stay cold in the east, with afternoon temperatures of just 3 to 5 degrees, however it will become milder in the west with temperatures increasing to around 8 to 11 degrees. Moderate northwesterly winds will develop in the west but otherwise winds will be light and variable.

Sunday night will be mostly cloudy with further outbreaks of rain and drizzle moving eastwards. Lowest temperatures of 3 to 9 degrees, occurring early in the night, with the coldest conditions in the northeast. Light to moderate west to southwest winds.

Monday morning will also be cloudy with widespread outbreaks of rain but this will clear southeastwards and will be followed by scattered showers for the afternoon and evening, mainly in the north and west. It will be a milder day with highest temperatures of 9 to 12 degrees, in light to moderate winds.

Further outlook: Staying mild and unsettled with showers or longer spells of rain.