WEATHER: A cold wet and wintry week set for Waterford

Unsettled conditions expected across the county this week with wintry rain and wind forecast.

Becoming settled later in the weekend and early next week with mainly dry weather and light winds, but it'll be cold with some frost and fog.

Today

Any mist and fog will clear early this morning and it'll be dry for a time. However cloud will continue to build from the west early on with rain and drizzle spreading from the Atlantic through the morning and afternoon.

There'll be some mist and fog too, especially in the southwest and south. Becoming windy as southerly winds increase fresh to strong and gusty with gales for a time in coastal parts of the west. Milder with the rain with highest temperatures of 11 to 13 degrees.

It'll become drier tonight as rain clears southeastwards early in the night. Some scattered showers will follow, with a few clear spells developing.

Cloud and scattered outbreaks of rain and drizzle will start to move into southwestern and some other southern areas towards morning. While it'll be rather windy for a time, the winds will veer southwesterly and gradually moderate. Lowest temperatures of 7 to 11 degrees.

Mist & fog will quickly clear as cloud thickens through the morning & with outbreaks of rain & drizzle spreading eastwards later in the morning & through the afternoon. ☔️

Becoming windy too through the day, with strengthening southerly winds.

Highs of 9 to 13°C. ️ pic.twitter.com/OvuyMlsswu

— Met Éireann (@MetEireann) December 4, 2024

Thursday

Mostly cloudy tomorrow morning with outbreaks of rain and drizzle, some of it turning heavy at times. The rain will clear southeastwards though through the afternoon, with a mix of sunny spells and blustery showers following.

It'll become increasingly windy through the day with southwest winds increasing strong and gusty and later veering west to northwest, further increasing gale force at times in western coastal parts. Highest temperatures of 11 to 13 degrees.

Still rather windy at first on Thursday night with scattered showers too for a time, but the winds will ease and the showers will become isolated and mainly confined to coastal parts of the north and west. There'll be some clear spells, but it'll become cloudier from the west overnight.

Lowest temperatures of 1 to 5 degrees in fresh and gusty northwest winds, decreasing light to moderate westerly or variable. There's a chance of some frost and ice, especially further east.

READ NEXT: PICTURES: Superb home with stunning interior and walled garden in Waterford City hits the market for€550k

Friday

There's still a little uncertainty in the forecast for Friday and Friday night, as it depends on the track and development of an area of low pressure, which currently looks set to track eastwards across the south of Ireland.

At the moment the most likely scenario is that it'll be a cloudy day on Friday, with some heavy rain and localised flooding, mainly across the southern half of the country. Rain will be lighter further north. Cool with highest temperatures of 5 to 9 degrees generally, but milder in southern areas, ranging from 9 to 13 degrees.

Becoming rather windy in southern areas with fresh to strong and gusty cyclonic variable winds developing, the winds will lighter though further north.

A more northerly track to the area of low pressure, would give more widespread heavy rain and localised flooding right across the country and could result in very windy weather, but it looks like this is a less likely scenario. Keep an eye on forecast updates for any changes though.

Friday night: The rain will clear southeastwards on Friday night with clear spells and some showers following, some of hail, especially into the north and west. It's going to turn colder, so some of those showers will fall as sleet too, especially over higher ground.

Lowest temperatures of 0 to 4 degrees, with some frost and ice likely, especially across the midlands and east. It'll be rather windy with fresh to strong and gusty northwest winds.

Saturday

It looks set to be cold and windy on Saturday with sunny spells and blustery showers, some of hail and sleet and with some snow showers likely over higher ground. The showers will be most widespread across the north and west, but will make their way across the country too in fresh to strong and gusty northwest winds.

There's a chance of some thunder too, mainly near the north and west coast. Highest temperatures of just 4 to 8 degrees and feeling even colder due to the added wind chill factor. Cold and breezy on Saturday night with clear spells and further showers, some wintry, with the showers mainly in the north and parts of the west, but becoming more isolated overnight.

Lowest temperatures of 1 to 5 degrees, with the chance of some frost and ice in sheltered parts.

Sunday

Cold, bright and breezy on Sunday with sunshine and just a few isolated showers, mainly in northern parts early in the day. Highest temperatures of 5 to 9 degrees in moderate to fresh and occasionally gusty north to northwest winds, stronger in coastal parts of the north and west.

The winds will ease on Sunday night, becoming light to moderate northerly, and it will be dry with clear spells. Lowest temperatures -1 to +3 degrees with some frost and ice.