Ireland weather: Met Eireann pinpoints when temperatures to shoot upwards amid unseasonably warm conditions

After a big freeze last week and with temperatures set to plummet below freezing at night until at least the middle of this week, a big change is in store heading towards this weekend.

Met Éireann has forecast that Ireland will bask in temperatures reaching the mid teens come the weekend, not barbeque weather by any stretch but pretty mild and even warm considering we’re about to enter the last month of the year.

As had been forecast, the mercury dropped well below freezing on Monday night and the early hours of Tuesday, as low as -4 degrees in places. That trend is likely to be repeated on Tuesday and Wednesday night before conditions become “milder and a little more unsettled” towards the end of the week.

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Thursday and Friday look set to be cloudy and breezy, with plenty of scattered rain showers which look likely to be more of the drizzly variety than anything particularly heavy. What is set to make the end of the week and the weekend markedly different than the beginning, however, is the temperatures surging upwards, to highs of 14 degrees on Friday and again on Saturday.

Weather maps showing balmy conditions for this weekend
(Image: wxcharts.com)

While an extended range forecast always has to be treated with caution due to the unpredictable nature of long-range weather predictions, Met Éireann has signalled that those above average temperatures will continue into the first couple of weeks of December and possibly beyond.

Published last week, Met Éireann’s extended forecast points to high pressure becoming “more established and perhaps centred closer to Ireland” in the first week of next month. This will lead to below average rainfall and above average temperatures, with high pressure “signalled to remain a feature of our weather” the following week, December 9-15.

The long-range forecast for that week also promises above average rainfall, as is the case for the following week, 16-22 December, when above average temperatures are also set to continue with Christmas just around the corner.

Check out the Met Éireann forecast for the week ahead below.

Tuesday

Largely dry and sunny in most areas today apart from some well scattered showers, most likely in coastal parts of the north, west and south. Cloud will build in the south and southeast later this evening with heavy showers or longer spells of rain developing. Highest temperatures of 5 to 9 degrees with light variable breezes.

Showery rain will continue in the southeast and east with a few coastal showers in the north on Tuesday night, otherwise it'll be dry tonight with frost and patches of mist and fog developing in many areas. Lowest temperatures of -3 to +2 degrees in mostly light variable breezes.

Wednesday

Areas of mist and fog will be slow to clear through Wednesday and may linger all day in some parts of Munster. There'll be some showers at first, especially in the east, with a few isolated showers too near the north and northwest coast, otherwise it will be a largely dry day with some spells of sunshine. A chilly day with highest temperatures of 3 to 7 degrees, colder where fog lingers, in mostly light northerly or variable breezes.

Cold and dry Wednesday night with frost and icy patches developing. Mist and fog will form in light winds early on before winds freshen in the west through the night. Cloud and rain developing in the southwest towards morning. Lowest temperatures of -2 to +2 degrees.

Thursday

Cloud, rain and drizzle will spread from the southwest through the morning but staying largely dry with some sunny spells towards the north and east. Cloud will build elsewhere through the day and it'll become breezy. While there'll be some further scattered outbreaks of rain and drizzle in the west and south, it'll hold mainly dry elsewhere. Highest temperatures of 9 to 13 degrees with southeasterly winds increasing mostly fresh and gusty, stronger in some coastal parts.

Cloudy and breezy Thursday night, with outbreaks of rain and drizzle, mainly over the western half of the country. Lowest temperatures of 5 to 10 degrees in moderate to fresh and gusty southeasterly winds.

Friday

Friday will be another breezy, mostly cloudy day, with outbreaks of rain and drizzle in the west and southwest, spreading eastwards. Highest temperatures of 10 to 14 degrees in moderate to fresh and gusty southeasterly winds. Another cloudy night with scattered outbreaks of rain and drizzle. Lowest temperatures of 10 to 12 degrees in a light to moderate southerly wind.

Saturday

A cloudy start on Saturday with outbreaks of rain tracking northeastwards through the morning and afternoon. Sunny spells and scattered showers will follow the clearance of the rain. Highest temperatures of 12 to 14 degrees in a moderate to fresh southwesterly wind.

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