Rain in the west will move eastwards over the course of Friday morning and early afternoon, accompanied by strong and gusty southerly winds. According to the Met Éireann forecast, some scattered showers will follow with some sunny spells developing.

Midday temperatures will be 9°C to 12°C but it will turn cooler and fresher with the clearance as winds veer west to northwesterly and moderate.

Friday night will be cold with clear periods and mainly dry, apart from a few showers near Northern coasts. Overnight lows of 1°C to 3°C and a sharp frost with some mist or fog patches also. Winds easing further.

Saturday

A cool, mostly dry and bright day Saturday with sunny spells after early mist or fog clears. There will be a chance of a few showers in the north. Winds light or moderate westerly or variable and afternoon highs of 7°C to 9°C.

Cold and mainly dry on Saturday night with a widespread sharp to severe frost away from northern and northwestern coastal areas, and patchy mist or fog forming in light winds. Overnight lows will range from 0°C to 3°C.

Sunday

Sunday will be rather cool, dry and bright in most places, with frost, mist and fog clearing during the morning. Cloudier in northern counties with showery outbreaks of rain developing. Highs of 8°C to 10°C with moderate west to northwest breezes, fresher along the north coast.

Some frost in southern counties on Sunday night with temperatures falling close to freezing, but cloudier skies further north should prevent significant frost, but some patchy mist and fog may form.

After some showers on Monday, the rest of next week looks dry and settled. Daytime highs of 11°C to 13°C, with some frost by night when skies are clear. Some mist and fog patches overnight and in the early mornings also.

Management notes

Beef editor Adam Woods takes a look at calf health, fertiliser and the use of painkillers in this week's management notes.

Aidan Brennan outlines how much fertiliser needs to be spread now, what to do with late-calving cows and best policy when it comes to reseeding.

This week's improvement in weather has made life easier for flocks lambing, but there are still challenges on farms that received heavy rainfall, writes Darren Carty.

And in tillage, spring was misplaced in January and February as first quarter rainfall levels attempt to catch up in March.