Friday

Mostly dry with a good deal of cloud on Friday. There will be some sunshine, especially in Munster and south and east Leinster with highest temperatures of 9°C to 13°C.

It will turn cloudy and misty with patchy drizzle overnight. Lowest temperatures will range from 4°C to 7°C. It will be colder locally though where skies clear.

Saturday

Overcast, but with a good deal of dry weather on Saturday. Some patchy drizzle, mainly on hills and coasts. Highest temperatures of 9°C to 12°C.

By night Saturday will be overall dry but misty with patchy light rain and drizzle, mainly across Ulster and Connacht. Once again though, it will turn colder where skies clear. Lowest temperatures will range from 2°C to 7°C.

Sunday

Current indications suggest that Sunday will be the brighter day of the two this weekend, with the best of the sunny spells likely across the eastern half of Ireland.

It will be dull and damp at times in the west of Connacht and the southwest of Munster. Highest temperatures will range from 9°C to 12°C.

Monday

Cloudy weather with scattered falls of showery rain will move in off the Atlantic, in moderate southwest winds.

There will be some sunny spells early on, away from Atlantic counties. Highest temperatures will range from 10°C to 13°C.

Management notes

Tillage

As we move into the second half of March, it is even more important to have good seedbed conditions along with fertiliser in the seedbed, writes Andy Doyle.

Sheep

The current record hogget prices are leading many farmers to rightly assess their system and question if any changes need to be implemented to take advantage of the buoyant trade, writes Darren Carty.

Beef

Phasing concentrates from store cattle diets will help smooth the transition to a grass-only diet at turnout time, writes Declan Marren.

Dairy

Aidan Brennan looks at some of the key management factors for the week ahead on dairy farms.