Sunshine here at last... but blink and you’ll miss it

SUNNY days are here again – for the weekend at least – as temperatures are expected to soar to a balmy 21C.

Met Éireann is forecasting sunny spells for the majority of the country, but make the most out of it while you can as ‘widespread showers’ are expected to dominate the first few days of next week.

Today will be a considerably milder day compared to yesterday – with a mix of clouds and hazy sunshine.

The forecaster predicts that there is a risk of isolated showers too, but mainly along northern and western coasts.

Highest temperatures will be between 15C and 20C, but staying slightly cooler in the northwest due to light westerly breezes.

And if you’re barbecuing late into the evening, be sure to have some warm clothes at hand, as it will get chilly in some areas come nightfall. While it will be a dry and clear night, there will be lows of 7C to 9C with southerly winds also forecast on the west coast.

Tomorrow will be an ever milder day with a dry, bright start in the east and sunny spells.

Met Éireann predicts that cloud will thicken in the west for a short period in the morning bringing patchy rain and drizzle to Atlantic coastal counties.

This light rain will slowly edge eastwards through the day, but it is not likely to stay for long. The best of the sunshine will remain in the east of the country, with temperatures reaching 20C-21C, and typically 16C to 19C elsewhere. The drab weather of recent weeks will, however, resume again on Monday morning – as rain as drizzle begins to spread eastwards. And while there will be sunny spells for a time, widespread showers are expected to follow.

It will be cloudy on Tuesday with outbreaks of rain and drizzle in all areas. It’s also forecast to be colder compared to the previous days, with highs of 14C in the northwest and 18C in the southeast.