Forecast issued at: Monday 29th December 2025 12:00
Rain
Rainfall amounts have been well below normal across the country over the last seven days. Amounts ranged from just 0.2 mm at Valentia, Co. Kerry (1% of normal) to 6.7 mm at Cork Airport (41% of normal). High pressure will dominate for much of the coming week, bringing largely dry conditions for a time, though there'll be some rain, drizzle and showers later in the week, which will turn wintry at times, especially further north. Precipitation amounts will be low generally, a little higher in some northern parts later in the week. There'll be little or no precipitation in the southeast, and with only between 2mm and 10mm in many other areas, which equates to less than 30% of normal. In parts of the west and southwest, up to 15mm can be expected, or between 30% and 50% of normal, while up to 20mm is forecast for the north, equating to around 75% of normal.
Temperatures
Mean air temperatures were generally near or below normal over the past week, though were higher than normal in parts of the east and north. Mean air temperatures ranged from 3.9 degrees Celsius at Gurteen, Co. Tipperary, which is 1.8 degrees below normal, to 7.4 degrees Celsius at Johnstown Castle, Co. Wexford, which is over a degree above normal. The coming week will be cold with some frosty nights. It'll turn colder generally later in the week. Overall, mean air temperatures will range between 1 and 6 degrees, which is between 1 and 4 degrees below average for most. Mean soil temperatures will decrease.
Sunshine
Sunshine amounts varied through the country over the past week, but with many areas getting either close to or above normal amounts and some areas getting well above average. However, it was duller in parts of the east. The least amount of sunshine was recorded at Casement aerodrome, Co. Dublin, with 6.5 hours (58% of normal) recorded there. The highest amount of sunshine was recorded at Johnstown Castle, Co. Wexford, with 21.9 hours or 193% of normal received there. Iit'll generally become cloudier for the next couple of days, and while some sunshine will return at times next week, it'll be duller at times with fog or freezing fog likely to linger in some areas by day midweek and with a little rain, drizzle and some showers later on in the week. So overall sunshine amounts are expected to come in around average to a little below over the next 7 days.
Drying Conditions
Little rainfall is forecast over the coming days but it will be often overcast and cold, so drying conditions will remain fairly poor overall.
Spraying
There'll be good spraying opportunities over the coming days with mainly dry conditions and light to moderate winds expected.
Field Conditions
Field conditions have improved in recent days with trafficability beginning to be possible in well and moderately drained soils. Poorly drained soils remain saturated or waterlogged. Little change is expected over the coming days with little precipitation forecast albeit with not much drying either.
Forecast maps and meteograms can be found on Blight Forecast.
