ALERT: Met Éireann predicts some awful weather as we head into Christmas weekend

Sunny spells and well scattered showers Wednesday morning before becoming cloudy in most areas in the afternoon with outbreaks of rain developing for a time in Munster and south Leinster.

Scattered showers further north and the best of the afternoon sunny spells will be in the northwest.

Highest temperatures of 7 to 11 degrees with moderate to fresh westerly winds at first, easing mostly light to moderate for the afternoon.

Overview: Changeable and often unsettled.

Wednesday night: Rain will clear from southern and southeastern areas early on Wednesday night with clearer and colder conditions extending from the northwest.

Showers will follow into Atlantic coastal counties overnight, some turning wintry. Lowest temperatures generally ranging from 1 to 5 degrees in fresh northwest winds.

Thursday: Cold and blustery on Thursday with sunshine and scattered showers, some wintry over the northern half of the country in the morning. The showers will become confined to Atlantic coastal areas during the afternoon.

Highest temperatures of 5 to 8 degrees in fresh and gusty northwest winds.

Rather cold on Thursday night with a touch of frost possible in the east. Turning cloudier from the west overnight with outbreaks of rain developing in Atlantic coastal counties by dawn on Friday.

Lowest temperatures of 2 to 7 degrees, coldest in the east, in moderate westerly winds.

Friday: A band of rain will push eastwards across Ireland on Friday morning with a mix of sunshine and scattered showers following for the afternoon.

Maximum temperatures of 8 to 11 degrees in fresh westerly winds, strong along the Atlantic seaboard.

Breezy on Friday night with showery outbreaks of rain moving in from the Atlantic during the night. Lowest temperatures of 4 to 8 degrees in fresh southwest winds.

Saturday: Windy on Saturday with sunny spells and scattered showers, some of hail in the north. Maximum afternoon temperatures of 7 to 11 degrees with strong and gusty westerly winds.

Cold and blustery on Saturday night with clear spells and scattered showers, some of the showers wintry in Ulster.

Lowest temperatures ranging from 2 to 6 degrees in fresh to strong west to northwest winds with gales along the Atlantic seaboard.

Sunday: Early indications suggest it will be cold and breezy on Sunday with sunshine and passing showers, some of hail or sleet in Ulster.

Maximum temperatures of 4 to 9 degrees, coldest in Ulster and mildest in Munster.