Unsettled weather with sunshine and scattered showers

Weather update from Met Éireann

Unsettled through the rest of the week and into the weekend with sunshine and scattered showers. Strong winds at times too. That's the latest weather outlook from Met Éireann.

Bright or sunny intervals and scattered showers at first today, Tuesday. Rain will develop in the west and southwest this morning, extending countrywide this afternoon and evening, with some heavy falls in west Connacht and southwest Munster. Becoming windy later with south to southwest winds increasing fresh to strong and gusty. Highs of 10 to 13 degrees.

Wet and windy tonight, especially early on, with widespread rain and fresh to strong and gusty southwesterly winds, gale force along western, and later, northern coasts. The rain will clear eastwards followed by clear spells and scattered showers. Winds will ease in most places overnight but it will stay windy in the northwest. Minimum temperatures of 3 to 7 degrees.

Tomorrow, Wednesday will start out dry in many parts with sunny spells with showers mainly affecting Atlantic coastal counties at first. It will become breezier and cloudier as the day goes on with scattered blustery showers becoming widespread during the afternoon. Some of the showers will be heavy, with a chance of hail and isolated thunderstorms. Highs of 9 to 12 degrees in a moderate to fresh and gusty southwesterly wind, strong near the coast.

Showers becoming largely confined to western coastal counties on Wednesday night. Long clear spells developing elsewhere. Lows of 3 to 7 degrees in moderate to fresh southerly winds.

Sunny spells and scattered showers becoming widespread on Thursday afternoon, some heavy. Turning blustery over the southern half of the country from late afternoon with fresh to strong and gusty south to southwest winds developing, increasing to gale along southern and southwestern coasts. Top temperatures of 10 to 13 degrees, coolest near the west coast.

Clear spells and scattered showers overnight on Thursday with the best of the drier intervals in the southeast. Rather windy over much of the country to begin on Thursday night with fresh to strong and gusty southwesterly winds, although the winds will be lighter in Ulster and in the northern fringes of Leinster and Connacht. Winds will ease overnight but they will remain fresh to strong along eastern, southern and southwestern coasts. Lows of 4 to 8 degrees.

Friday will bring showers mainly in the west and north at first, becoming widespread by the afternoon, some of them heavy. Light to moderate southwesterly winds will freshen in southern counties with another period of strong winds possible for southern and southwestern counties from late afternoon. Top temperatures of 10 to 13 degrees, again coolest near the west coast.

Clear spells and scattered showers Friday night, occasionally merging to longer spells of rain. The showers will gradually become confined to western and northern coasts overnight. Light to moderate cyclonic variable winds for most, but strong to gale force southwesterly winds affecting parts of Munster and south Leinster. Winds becoming moderate westerly everywhere overnight. Lows of 3 to 6 degrees.

Spells of sunshine on Saturday with showers largely confined to western and northern coasts at first. Cloud will tend to bubble up by the afternoon with showers becoming widespread, some of them heavy. Top temperatures ranging 8 to 12 degrees. Light to moderate west to southwest winds.

Many parts dry and sunny to begin on Sunday with just isolated showers. Cloud will tend to increase by the afternoon with scattered showers developing, but it is looking like the drier day of the weekend at this stage. Feeling a bit cooler too in northerly breezes with highs of 7 to 11 degrees.

Current indications suggest a further spell of rain will arrive from the Atlantic during Monday followed by showers on Tuesday.