The weekend weather forecast indicates a mixed bag with periods of sunshine and mild temperatures, followed by bouts of heavy showers of rain.
According to Met Éireann, after a dull and misty morning this morning (Friday, April 28) it will become increasingly sunny with scattered showers today. Highest temperatures of 14° to 18°C in light westerly or variable breezes.
Clear spells tonight will give way to mostly cloudy conditions building from the west, with a little patchy rain on coasts. Lowest temperatures tonight will range from 7° to 11° in light variable breezes.
Weekend weather
There will be good sunny spells tomorrow, Saturday (April 29), with scattered showers in the afternoon, a few of them may be heavy. Highest temperatures tomorrow are set to reach from 15° to 19° in light southeasterly or variable breezes.
There will be clear spells and isolated showers at first on Saturday night, before cloudier conditions and showery rain develops later. Lowest temperatures will range from 8° to 11° in light southerly or variable breezes.
According to Met Éireaan, showery rain on Sunday morning will clear eastwards to leave a day of sunny spells and widespread showers, some heavy.
Highest temperatures will reach15°-18°, coolest along Atlantic coasts as light southwesterly breezes gradually increase moderate westerly.
Any lingering showers will die out and Sunday night will be mainly dry. Lowest overnight temperatures will range from 7° to 9° in mostly light westerly winds.
There is expected to be sunny spells and scattered showers on Monday, with most areas becoming dry by evening.
Highest temperatures will range from 15° to 18° generally, in a light to moderate northwesterly wind, a degree or so cooler in parts of Northern Ireland due to that northwesterly wind.
Further outlook
Tuesday looks like it will continue mainly dry with light winds, although it will be rather cloudy at times with best of the sunny spells in the south.
Current indications suggest that there will be a good deal of dry, and at times, sunny weather through to mid-week with just isolated showers.
Temperatures are expected to continue to reach the mid- to high-teens with mostly light winds.
Field conditions
According to Met Éireann, soils in the midlands are saturated or close to it, as some poorly drained soils here are waterlogged.
Elsewhere soil moisture deficits (SMDs) range 5-22mm, with driest soils in the southwest and also along western and northern fringes.
Soil conditions by the end of the week will be fairly similar to the current state. Soils will be close to saturation across most of the east, midlands and southeast with SMDs below 10mm here, and poorly drained soils saturated or waterlogged. Elsewhere SMDs will remain 10-20mm.
