Rain, possibly thundery, will be heaviest in the west and south during the first half of Friday and heaviest in the east during the second half of the day. Strong and gusty southeast winds will accompany the rain with gales or strong gales near exposed coasts.

The rain will be followed by heavy showers in the west and southwest later in the afternoon as winds veer to the southwest and moderate, according to Met Éireann.

Warnings

There are three weather warnings in place for Friday:

  • Status yellow - wind warning for Leinster, Cavan, Monaghan and Donegal

    Southeasterly winds will reach mean speeds of 50 to 65km/h with gusts of 90 to 110km/h. Gusts will exceed these values in exposed coastal areas and on higher ground, especially in the southeast. Valid from 8am to 7pm.

  • Status yellow - rainfall warning for Dublin, Carlow, Kildare, Kilkenny, Louth, Wexford, Wicklow, Galway, Mayo, Cork, Kerry, Tipperary and Waterford.

    Heavy rain will lead to accumulations of around 25 to 40mm but may exceed these limits in mountainous areas. Valid from 6am to 6pm.

  • Status yellow - wind warning for Munster and Connacht.

    Southeasterly winds will reach mean speeds of 50 to 65km/h with gusts of 90 to 110km/h. Gusts will exceed these values in exposed coastal areas and on higher ground, especially in the southwest. Valid from 4am to 3pm.

    • Saturday

    Saturday will see sunny spells and scattered showers, the showers frequent in the west and south with the odd thundery downpour possible. Highest temperatures of 8°C to 10°C in mostly moderate southwest winds.

    Scattered showers will continue on Saturday night, with lows of 2°C to 6°C and light breezes.

    Sunday

    Further sunny spells and scattered showers are likely on Sunday, the showers most frequent in the western half of the country, with the slight risk of hail and thunder.

    In the west, the showers may merge into longer spells of rain. Southerly winds will freshen a little during the afternoon. Maximum temperatures of 9°C to 12°C.

    Early next week, sunshine and showers are expected on Monday, with temperatures close to normal. A good deal of dry weather Tuesday but rain will spread from the west later Tuesday night. The rain may linger for a time next Wednesday and it will become quite mild.

    Management notes

    In beef, Adam Woods takes a look at getting nutrition right this winter, pneumonia issues and setting up your yard for reduced workload.

    In dairy, Aidan Brennan looks at how to manage in wet weather, what cows need to be dosed for and what to expect at Dairy Day.

    On the sheep side, Darren Carty looks at post-breeding nutrition, TAMS II and a sale of working dogs.

    In tillage, the drop in soil temperatures combined with recent rain could see many more challenges to good establishment in recently planted crops and any to be planted from now on.