Saturday to sizzle to 20C... but it’s a dull few days first

A HOT spell is expected at the end of the week as temperatures are set to reach 20C – but we have a dull and wet few days to get through first.

Met Éireann said temperatures will be ‘very much above average’ for this time of year.

The weekend looks like it will be a drastic change from the grey and wet conditions expected throughout the week.

Forecaster Emer Flood said: ‘I think that 20C this weekend is something we can look forward to but between now and then it does look like quite a dull, cloudy picture, particularly for anybody in the west and north-west.

‘But the hope is that high pressure will be over the country on Saturday and Sunday and that will give some drier conditions.

‘For the rest of the week high pressure is still part of the main influence over the weather, that means it’s generally settled even if it doesn’t feel fantastic.’

She said this morning will be ‘dry in many areas but rather cloudy’, with ‘showers in the east for much of the day’.

Temperatures throughout the day will be between 13C to 17C, with ‘the warmest weather over the next couple of days towards the southern coast’.

Tomorrow morning is similar, rather cloudy and some outbreaks of light rain or drizzle, while the afternoon and evening are expected to be dry.

Ms Flood added: ‘The afternoon on Wednesday could be the best afternoon in the coming days and while it will be a cloudy and dull enough start to the day that cloud should break up allowing better spells of sunshine in the evening.’

Temperatures on Wednesday will be between 14C to 18C.

She said: ‘Unfortunately, then we are swinging back into damp and drizzly weather for Thursday.’

While Friday morning could be quite wet in some areas, Ms Flood said: ‘Friday evening onwards and for the rest of the weekend, that looks like when the better weather could be coming.’

Met Éireann anticipates the highest temperatures on Friday to be around 18C or 19C.