National Forecast
Issued at: 18 December 2025 15:29
TODAY - Thursday 18th December
Rain with heavy downpours and isolated thunderstorms will continue to spread eastwards through the afternoon. A clearance will develop in the west before dark with clear spells and isolated showers following. Highest temperatures of 6 to 10 degrees. Moderate to fresh southerly winds will veer southwesterly and ease with the clearance of the rain.
TONIGHT
Starting off dry and clear for most. Scattered showers will feed in from the Atlantic and track eastwards overnight, turning heavy at time, with the slight risk of hail or thunder. Lowest temperatures of 3 to 7 degrees, with moderate to fresh and gusty southwesterly winds.
TOMORROW - Friday 19th December
Starting off blustery with a mix of scattered showers and sunny spells. Showers gradually ease and become isolated through the morning, giving way to largely dry conditions for most. Highest temperatures of 7 to 11 degrees, with moderate to fresh and gusty southwesterly winds, easing and backing southerly towards evening.
National Outlook
Overview: The mobile Atlantic regime will continue to bring unsettled and mixed conditions for the remainder of this week, with further spells of rain, showers, and sunny spells all forecast. However, current indications are that a shift to a more easterly airflow will introduce more settled and drier, but cooler, conditions as we move into next week and towards Christmas.
Friday night: Mostly dry at first apart from a few coastal showers. However, cloud will thicken from the west through the second half of the night, with outbreaks of rain pushing into the south and west towards morning. Lowest temperatures of 4 to 7 degrees, with southerly winds increasing fresh to strong and gusty through the night.
Saturday: A wet and windy start with outbreaks of rain spreading northeastwards across the country, becoming patchier as they do so. A clearance to drier conditions, but still with some showers, will follow in the afternoon. Highest daytime temperatures of 6 to 10 degrees, with moderate to fresh and gusty southeasterly winds veering southwesterly and easing light to moderate with the clearance.
Saturday night: A cold night with long clear spells. It will be dry apart from a few coastal showers. Some frost is possible with lowest temperatures of minus 1 to plus 2 degrees, with a light southerly breeze. Some mist and fog patches are possible too.
Sunday: The detail becomes more uncertain as we move into Sunday, but current indications are that it will be a cooler day with showers, possibly of hail, and more persistent outbreaks of rain moving in from the southeast. Highest daytime temperatures of 3 to 8 degrees, with a light northerly or easterly breeze.
Monday: The detail continues uncertain but further spells of rain and showers are expected. Highest temperatures of 5 to 9 degrees, with a light easterly breeze.
Further outlook: While the detail continues uncertain later into the next week, current indications are for overall drier and more settled conditions to develop.
Temperature circle (°C): maximum and minimum temperature forecast for each day. Wind symbol (km/h): arrow points in the direction the wind is blowing. The weather and wind icons: for the time of maximum temperature and minimum temperature.