IRELAND WEATHER: Possible showers expected but looking mainly dry and sunny for the weekend ahead

Showery conditions expected for Thursday night and Friday before becoming warmer, drier and more settled for the Bank Holiday Weekend as high pressure builds up over the country.

Today

Dry with sunny spells this morning. A few isolated showers will develop during the day but most areas will stay dry and bright. Highest temperatures of 14 to 18 degrees, warmest in the southwest, in light northerly or variable breezes.

Dry with long clear spells for much of the night. Cloud will build from the west overnight bringing a few patches of light rain or drizzle towards morning. Lowest temperatures of 4 to 8 degrees. Mist or fog patches will form in light variable breezes.

Thursday

A dry morning tomorrow for most with some early sunshine, before becoming mostly cloudy. Showery rain will develop in Atlantic counties during the morning, gradually moving across the country during the day, turning heavy locally in north and west later in the afternoon.

The rain will reach the east in the evening with parts of the southeast staying dry until early night. Highest temperatures generally of 15 to 18 degrees in light breezes but cooler in parts of the north and west.

Showery rain will become mostly confined to the eastern half of the country early in the night before clearing into the Irish Sea towards morning. Drier conditions with clear spells will follow in the clearance from the rain. Lowest temperatures of 6 to 9 degrees in light variable breezes.

Friday

A good deal of cloud expected with scattered showers though there will be some sunny spells. Some showers will be heavy with a chance of thundery downpours leading to surface water flooding. Highest temperatures of 15 to 18 degrees in mostly light northeasterly breezes.

Early Friday night, the showers will die away leaving a largely dry and clear night. Lowest temperatures of 6 to 10 degrees in light breezes.

Saturday and Sunday

There is some uncertainty in the details but current indications suggest that they will be warm and dry days with good spells of sunshine for most though there is a chance of some showers, mainly in the south and southeast where it will be slightly cloudier.

Highest temperatures of 16 to 20 degrees generally, coolest along eastern coasts due to light to moderate onshore winds but possibly getting into the low 20's in parts of the southwest and west.

Dry with long clear spells during the night with temperatures not falling below 7 to 10 degrees.