Friday

Friday will see thundery showers or longer spells of rain over the north of the country.

There will also be a continued risk of spot flooding, with the best of drier conditions to be experienced in Munster and south Leinster.

Temperatures will range from 11°C to 14°C, with moderate and occasionally strong westerly winds.

Friday night will see longer spells of rain continue, with moderate to fresh southwest winds veering northwest and easing light to moderate by morning.

Saturday

Saturday will be breezy with widespread showers across the north and east, with isolated thunderstorms bringing the risk of some spot flooding.

Brighter and drier conditions will be seen across the southwest with just isolated showers. Temperatures will reach 19°C in some areas, with moderate to fresh westerly winds.

Showers will become confined to Ulster and Atlantic coastal counties on Saturday night, with temperatures ranging from 12°C to 14°C.

Sunday

Showery conditions, along with the possibility of thunderstorms, are expected on Sunday.

Showers will be heaviest across the northern half of the country, while drier and sunnier conditions will be seen further south.

Highest temperatures will range from 15°C to 19°C in moderate to fresh west to southwest winds.

Showers will become more isolated along the coasts overnight and good clear dry spells will develop.

However, there will be some mist and fog patches developing as westerly winds fall light. Lowest temperatures of 12°C to 14°C.

Management notes

Tillage

In the tillage notes, Andy Doyle takes a look at catch crops, how they are an investment in the future productivity of your land and why to avoid planting too early when using high-nitrogen products such as pig manure.

Sheep

Speaking with the owner of the rams, if possible, about previous management will allow farmers to implement the optimum health regime and also influence post-sale management. Given the size of the investment, adopting such an approach will help underpin performance and prevent issues which may occur from a sharp change in diet, writes Darren Carty.

Beef

Last week’s rain and continued warm temperatures will likely see an increase in lungworm burdens on pastures, says Adam Woods.

Dairy

It’s important to recognise that protected urea seems to work better in soils at the right pH, but also that urea is harder on soil pH than CAN, so more regular liming will be necessary where protected urea is being used, says Aidan Brennan in this week's dairy management notes.