Brutal weather forecast for New Year's Eve with hail and lightning in forecast

New Year Eve looks set to be a brutal day with Met Eireann forecasting wind, blustery showers some with hail and lightning for Ireland.

The wet weather is set to continue for much of the day and into the night with Met Eireann also forecasting freezing temperatures in places after dark.

According to the latest Met Eireann weather forecast for Ireland, it will be windy on Sunday with bright spells and blustery showers, some with hail and lightning. It will be very windy for a time in the southwest and west. A Status Yellow Wind warning for Clare, Cork, Kerry and Limerick is currently in place until 5pm

Showers will become largely confined to the northern half of the country by late evening. Feeling rather cold in the strong west to northwest breeze with maximum temperatures of 5 to 8 degrees generally.

On New Year's Eve night, showers will continue, mainly for Atlantic counties with some prolonged showers possible in the northwest, bringing the chance of hail and thunder.

Some frost or ice will form with lowest temperatures of -1 to +4 degrees in mostly moderate westerly winds.