Ireland weather: Conditions to plunge below freezing before huge 20 degree swing in temperatures

Plenty of Irish households will have had the heating on full blast on Friday night and Saturday morning, but a big change is coming on the weather front

A swing in temperatures of up to 20 degrees is expected in Ireland this week as we are set to experience both late-summer and early-winter weather conditions within days.

The mercury dropped to as low as -2 degrees in places on Saturday morning and will tip as high as 18 degrees come Wednesday afternoon as mild conditions kick in for the majority of next week.

After what was a lovely Friday in many parts of the country, Saturday will be “fresh” according to Met Éireann, with any rain - which could be heavy in the west and north earlier in the day - tracking southwards and clearing into the Irish Sea by afternoon. Temperatures will drop from highs of 13 degrees during the day to lows of zero degrees and possibly below freezing on what will be another cold night.

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The start of Sunday will be similar, “a largely dry with hazy sunny spells”, before persistent and heavy rain will start to affect southern counties on Sunday evening, potentially leading to spot flooding in the worst-affected areas.

From Monday through to Wednesday, the forecast is showing signs of very mild weather for this time of year, with highest temperatures set to hover around the mid-teens every day, peaking at highs of 18 degrees next Wednesday.

Accompanying that mild weather will be showers, but after the heavy and persistent spells of rain on Sunday, it looks like they’ll be more scattered at least until Thursday, with Met Éireann’s outlook beyond then flagging “generally unsettled” conditions with rain and showers.

Check out the Met Éireann forecast for the coming days in full below.

Saturday

Showery outbreaks of rain in the North and West, heavy in places, will track southeastwards, while becoming lighter and patchier and generally clearing into the Irish Sea early this afternoon. Sunshine and well scattered showers will follow with clear skies this evening. Fresh with highest temperatures of 9 to 13 degrees. Southwest winds will veer northwesterly and freshen, strong on northern coasts.

Saturday night will be cold with isolated showers across northern fringes; otherwise dry with clear spells. Lowest temperatures of 0 to 5 degrees with light variable breezes becoming southeasterly by morning.

Sunday

Sunday will begin largely dry with hazy sunny spells. However, cloud will gradually thicken with scattered outbreaks of rain and drizzle developing. During the evening, persistent and heavy rain will affect southern counties with spot flooding. Highest temperatures of 7 to 10 degrees over the northern half of the country, 10 to 14 degrees further south, all in light to moderate southeasterly winds.

Cloudy and wet at first with rain for much of the country on Sunday night with heavy falls in places leading to localised flooding, though parts of the north and west will stay mostly dry. Clearer and drier conditions will then move in from the Atlantic with the rain largely confined to the east by morning. Lowest temperatures ranging from 3 to 7 degrees in the north and west, 7 to 11 degrees elsewhere. Moderate to fresh southeasterly winds, strong near coasts especially in the south, will ease light variable by morning with mist and fog patches developing.

Monday

The last of the rain in the east will clear early in the morning with a mix of cloud, sunny spells and isolated showers following. Highest temperatures of 11 to 16 degrees, mildest in the southwest, with mostly light southerly winds. Turning cloudier overnight for much of the western half of the country with a few spots of rain or drizzle. Dry elsewhere with clear spells. Lowest temperatures of 6 to 11 degrees in light to moderate southerly winds with some mist and hill fog forming.

Tuesday

A mix of cloud and hazy sunny spells with scattered outbreaks of rain and drizzle, most frequent in southern areas. Highest temperatures of 14 to 17 degrees generally in light to moderate south to southeast winds. The rain will become heavier and more widespread overnight.

Wednesday

After a dull and wet morning, a clearance to sunny spells in the southwest in the early afternoon will gradually extend northeastwards. Highest temperatures of 15 to 18 degrees in light to moderate southerly winds.

Further outlook

Generally unsettled with spells of rain and showers.

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