Weather watch - Fine spell to be broken by a freeze and April showers

Met Éireann is forecasting a big swing in the weather this weekend that will break the long-needed dry sunny spring interlude.

The forecaster has put people on notice of sub-zero temperatures mixed with bitter northerly winds mixed with widespread April showers.

After a much-welcomed drier spell of weather, Met Éireann's farming section says rainfall levels will return to normal or above normal over the next week.

Temperatures are also set to dip in the coming week and are expected to be below average for the time of year by about a degree.

Met Éireann says the next seven days will likely bring near-average sunshine amounts though the settled spell of weather will give way to more unsettled conditions from later this week.

As for the weekend, the latest Met Éireann forecast says current indications suggest both days will bring a mix of sunny spells and scattered April showers with the likelihood of more general falls of rain moving in off the Atlantic on Sunday. MORE BELOW X POST.

#MidWeekUpdate

It will get cooler over the next few days with highs of just 8-11°C by Friday ️

There’ll be some rain or showers at times too, especially in the west & southwest tomorrow ️️

More here https://t.co/BgwnlFeX1D pic.twitter.com/nlB1DGYhtH

— Met Éireann (@MetEireann) April 24, 2024

It says much of the south and southeast may stay fully dry but it will be fairly cool with highest temperatures of 9 to 12 degrees. Northerly winds will likely veer westerly.

Before that Met Éireann expects the fine weather to break on Thursday, April 25 with scattered showers in the north and northwest to begin. There'll be variable cloud and some limited bright or sunny breaks elsewhere.

It will become mostly cloudy by the afternoon, with showery outbreaks of rain developing, turning heavy across the southwest, and more generally across the southern half of the country later in the day.

The forecaster expects drier and sunnier conditions will develop in the north through the afternoon. Highest temperatures of 8 to 12 degrees in light to moderate northerly or variable breezes.

Friday will see some bright or sunny spells but it will be cloudy overall with well-scattered showers. Highest temperatures of 8 to 11 degrees in a light to moderate northeasterly breeze.

Friday night will bring some sub-zero weather as showers die away followed by long clear spells following. Met Éireann says some frost will set in with lowest temperatures of -1 to 3 degrees in light northerly breezes.