We’re hotter than French Riviera as temperatures set to reach 15C
IRELAND is set to prove warmer than the French Riviera by the weekend as a front of African and Mediterranean weather helps deliver an exceptionally mild spring.
A weather front drawing warm air currents from North African up over Europe will, from Wednesday, help drive temperatures across Ireland up to between 13C and 15C.
Incredibly, Ireland could exceed temperatures predicted for the Riviera over Thursday and Friday – and could even come within two degrees of matching balmy Cairo in Egypt.
However, Met Éireann warned that while Ireland is set to bask in milder conditions, the weather will initially remain changeable with the likelihood – particularly between Monday and Wednesday – of heavy showers and some strong wind gusts.
“Monday and Tuesday will see changeable conditions with some scattered showers, some of which have the potential to be quite heavy,” a Met Éireann spokesperson explained.
Some inland areas may even experience a sharp ground frost on Tuesday morning.
Tuesday will prove cloudy with rain extending from western areas across the country.
“Rain will turn persistent, with some heavy bursts, mainly in parts of west Munster and west Connacht.”
However, while Wednesday will dawn with some rain and drizzle, dry spells will eventually dominate with temperatures rising from 9C up to between 13C and 15C by the weekend.
Leinster and the east coast will boast the best of the mild conditions with Atlantic coastal areas likely to experience some isolated patches of drizzle and rain.
However, it won’t be good news for everyone.
One quirk of the warm North African and Mediterranean air system will be a tendency of Atlantic weather fronts to loop around the north of Ireland and Scotland.
This is likely to result in higher than normal levels of rainfall in some parts of Northern Ireland, Scotland and northern England.
The mild weather may also be interrupted by Atlantic storms bringing wind and rain from March into April.
But Met Éireann said that for the immediate future Ireland will enjoy spells of mild, dry and daffodil-friendly conditions.