Weekend weather: snow on the way

Met Éireann has issued two weather warnings for heavy rainfall of up to 40mm and unsettled weather. Both yellow status warnings remain in place until 6pm on Friday.

The rainfall warning applies to counties Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Sligo, Clare and Kerry.

The weekend will start off cloudy, with heavy rain and snow over high ground on Friday, according to the national forecaster.

There will also be thunderstorms with hail.

Temperatures ranging 3°C to 8°C in freshening east to northeast winds.

Friday night will see further spells of heavy rain and snow and lowest temperatures of 0°C to 4°C.

Saturday will see further outbreaks of rain, which will be heavy in places. However, conditions will improve in the west and southwest, where it will become dry with some sunny spells developing.

Temperatures of 4°C to 8°C in fresh northwesterly winds.

It will be mostly cloudy on Saturday night, with further spells of rain, sleet and snow. Lowest temperatures 0°C or -1°C.

Similar forecast for Sunday, with a mostly cloudy start and scattered outbreaks of rain, sleet and snow. During the day it will become mostly dry with some sunny spells developing but still a scattering of showers about. Temperatures rising to between 6°C and 9°C degrees in fresh locally strong westerly winds.

There will be clear spells on Sunday night dry apart from some isolated showers.

Some frost and a few icy patches in areas sheltered from the fresh westerly wind with minimum temperatures ranging 0°C to 5°C.

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Aidan Brennan looks at what you need to do with BVD positive calves, milk fever cows and dealing with the busy workload caused by bad weather.

In this week's sheep notes Darren Carty covers hypothermia in lambs, the best use of ewe colostrum and colostrum substitutes and current weather challenges.

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