Friday

A mostly dry but cold start on Friday, with frost and areas of fog.

Rain will develop in Connacht and west Ulster by late morning, but it'll be mostly dry elsewhere, with some bright spells and just the odd light shower.

The afternoon will bring plenty of dry weather, but with some patchy rain in the west and north.

After a cold start, maximum afternoon temperatures will range from 5°C to 10°C.

By night, Friday will be wet and breezy, with rain spreading eastwards across the country and becoming widespread. It will be heavy at times.

Rain will clear from most places by morning. Lowest temperatures of 6°C to 9°C.

Saturday

Any lingering rain in the east will clear to give a cool day on Saturday, with a fair amount of cloud and some showers at first, but brightening up later.

Highest afternoon temperatures of 6°C to 9°C.

Saturday night will be cold and mainly dry, though there may be a few showers on northern coasts.

Lowest temperatures of 0°C to 4°C.

Sunday

A mainly dry day on Sunday, with some bright or sunny spells at first, but tending to become cloudier, with some patchy rain or drizzle developing in the west and northwest. Highest temperatures 5°C to 8°C.

On Sunday night, there'll be a fair amount of cloud and some patchy mist and drizzle. Lowest temperatures of 3°C to 6°C.

Week ahead

Further outbreaks of rain on the way for next week, turning heavy and wintry at times.

A cold snap, with frosts by night towards the end of the week. Temperatures ranging between 4°C and 10°C for the most part.

Management notes

Tillage

Lively markets provide an opportunity for forward sales, which should at least be considered for a small amount of your grain, writes Andy Doyle.

Sheep

This week's notes touch on liver fluke treatment for out-wintered ewes, ensuring earlier housing will not lead to straw supplies running out and risks to be aware of in buying foster ewes or pet lambs, writes Darren Carty.

Beef

With spring calving set to start on Irish suckler farms, Kieran Mailey outlines some tips for getting live calves on the ground.

Dairy

Aidan Brennan looks at the best time to start spreading nitrogen, where to go with slurry and looks at dairy debt.