Balmy days ahead as weather to stay nice for Halloween

WE ARE in for a mini summer this weekend, with temperatures reaching 17C and forecasters hopeful the mild conditions will stretch right up until Halloween.

Today the mercury will climb up to 17C – with

Met Éireann noting these are “higher than usual temperatures” for the time of year. The weather will remain dry nationally, apart from the occasional shower affecting mostly Atlantic counties.

The dry weather will continue tomorrow with temperatures reaching between 13C and 16C, with the mildest weather in the south-east. It will be noticeably colder at night, falling to between 2C and 6C tomorrow. But temperatures are expected to remain relatively balmy.

“There’s an overall sense of a lot of dry, mild weather lasting for the next five to seven days,” said forecaster Pat Clarke. “Temperatures in the mid teens in October is very mild. This weather is due to high-pressure air coming from the Atlantic.

“The hope is this drier, milder weather will continue into the bank holiday, so it could be great conditions to get out and about for Halloween.”

There are a host of activities planned over the bank holiday weekend. Ireland’s Ancient East will be marking its historic connection with the festival of Samhain over 2,000 years ago. Families will be able to visit the Spooktacular Pumpkin Train Adventure at Rathwood Home in Tullow, Co Carlow, while Wells House and Gardens in Gorey, Co Wexford, welcomes the Dare to Scare Halloween Tours. For one night only, thrill seekers can take a train ride on the Waterford and Suir Valley Railway Spooky Express.

In Dublin, the Bram Stoker Festival runs from Friday until Monday, October 29. For more, visit discoverireland.ie.