According to Met Éireann, the national weather forecasting service, the country is poised for a stormy weekend characterised by hailstorms, possible lightning and thunderstorms. Rain showers are expected to begin on Friday, initially affecting the north and west regions before enveloping the rest of the country. There’s a high chance that these showers could be harsh, accompanied by hail, and may also feature occasional flashes of lightning.
The weather will remain chilly and windy into Friday evening, shifting between clear patches and further showers. These showers could potentially be severe, extended, and may be accompanied by hail or thunder. Snowfall is also expected, primarily over hilly regions. The lowest recorded temperatures could range from 1 to 4 degrees, influenced by strong winds from the west. Frost is likely in some protected areas.
The stormy conditions look set to persist into Saturday, including the likelihood of hail, thunder and morning snowfall in the elevated territories. Projecting into the future, the weather experts predict that conditions will persistently be unsettled and unusually cool for this time of the year.
Sunday starts off relatively dry in most areas, except for sporadic showers. However, rain from the southwest is expected to emerge during the morning, moving across Connacht, Munster and south Leinster by the afternoon. By evening, it’s expected that the rainfall will have spread across the nation. The maximum recorded temperature for Sunday afternoon is anticipated to be between 8 and 11 degrees.
Sunday night too will be punctuated by widespread rain with potential for heavy downpours. As the new week dawns on Monday, the trend of overcast skies and wet conditions continues, with further outbreaks of rain and probable heavy showers. Spot flooding could be a potential concern due to the heavy downpours.
On Tuesday, despite expectations of largely dry weather, scattered showers are predicted, specifically in the northern half of the country.