Friday

Friday will start mostly cloudy, with a scattering of showers between sunny spells.

Some showers will turn heavy or thundery in Munster and Connacht by the evening.

Conditions will remain rather warm and humid, with only a light to moderate southerly breeze blowing.

Highest temperatures will range from 16°C to 21°C, with conditions warmest across the northern half of the country.

Lowest nighttime temperatures will be 10°C to 13°C in light southeast or variable breezes, with mist and fog patches forming.

This mist may become dense in places, especially in southern and western counties.

Saturday

There will be sunny spells on Saturday, before scattered showers develop over the afternoon.

By evening, more frequent showery outbreaks of rain will move in from the southwest.

Highest temperatures will be 18°C to 22°C in light southerly or variable breezes.

Showery outbreaks of rain will continue overnight, with some thundery bursts in northern areas.

These downpours will be mixed, with occasional clear spells.

Lowest temperatures will drop to 11°C to 14°C over Saturday night.

Sunday

Sunny spells and scattered showers will roll across the country on Sunday morning.

Some of the showers will become heavy or thundery during the afternoon. There is a risk of some localised spot flooding in areas.

Highest daytime temperatures will reach 16°C to 19°C.

Showers will become isolated overnight, with good clear spells developing.

Management notes

Beef

This week, Adam Woods writes on the challenge of preventing summer mastitis in spring-calving cows, maintaining leaf in the sward over the late summer, controlling docks and the return of BDGP samples.

Sheep

Darren Carthy talks about the factors to consider for lambing early in 2022, kill-out variability around weaning time and the correct calibration of weighing scales in this week’s sheep management notes.

Dairy

The grassland management practices that will allow clover to persist in swards and the balance that must be struck when supplementing cows at grass to avoid surpluses when growth conditions become favourable are covered by Aidan Brennan.

Tillage

Andy Doyle writes about the slower than expected ripening of many winter crops, continued disease pressures and the control of grass weeds in cereals.