National Forecast

Issued at: 17 January 2019 16:24

TODAY - Thursday 17th January

Cold and mostly cloudy this evening with rain developing in western and southwestern coastal areas. Dry elsewhere with a patchy frost forming.

TONIGHT - Thursday 17th January

Cold tonight with patchy frost in some eastern and northern areas. Outbreaks of rain will extend eastwards across the country overnight, preceded in some areas by a brief period of sleet and wet snow. Temperatures between 0 and +2 degrees early tonight, but values rising in most places by dawn.

TOMORROW - Friday 18th January

Cold, breezy and wet for a time tomorrow morning, but brightening up in most places by the afternoon, with sunny spells and showers. Most of the showers will affect Atlantic coastal counties, where some will be heavy and prolonged. Top temperatures 7 to 9 degrees generally, but 4 to 6 degrees in Ulster. Fresh and gusty southeast winds will veer moderate to fresh southwesterly.

National Outlook

General: A cold regime for the weekend and well into next week. Temperatures below normal with frost most nights and a high risk of icy patches.

Friday night: Cold overnight with clear spells and showers, some showers heavy, with a slight risk of hail; Lowest temperatures -1 to plus 2 C., with some frost in places and some icy stretches on roads.

Saturday: Early frost clearing. Some bright or sunny spells, but occasional showers also. These showers, heaviest and most frequent in west Munster and west Connacht, where it will be breezy, with fresh and gusty northwest winds. Winds moderate variable or southeasterly elsewhere. Top temperatures 6 to 9 C., best in the southwest. Cold and locally breezy overnight, with a mix of clear spells and showers. Once again, the showers expected to be most frequent in western counties. Lowest temperatures -1 to plus 2 C., coldest in northern and eastern areas. Some frost under clear spells too.

Sunday: Patchy frost soon clearing. Some good sunny spells developing, but breezy for a time, with fresh northwest winds. Most places dry, apart from a few showers in the morning. Top temperatures 5 to 7 C. Cold and very frosty overnight, with icy roads. Lowest temperatures zero to -3 C.

Monday: Frost and ice clearing slowly. Mainly dry with sunny spells. Top temperatures 5 to 8 C. Cold overnight. Some frost for a time, with a spell of heavy rain expected to move in off the Atlantic overnight, possibly preceded by some wintry weather for a time.