Friday

Rain on Friday morning will clear to sunny spells and scattered heavy and blustery showers.

Some thundery falls are likely across eastern counties later, with possible hail and spot flooding.

Friday afternoon will see temperatures of 13°C to 16°C or 17°C, highest further east.

Moderate southerly winds will veer westerly and freshen as the early morning or overnight rain clears.

Friday night will consist of heavy showers. However, they will ease early in the night, becoming more isolated and mainly confined to Atlantic coasts.

It will be largely dry elsewhere, with long clear spells, but cloud will build from the southwest later in the night.

Lowest temperatures of 6°C to 9°C, with light to moderate southwest winds.

Saturday

After a largely dry start to the morning with the best of the early sunny spells in the southeast, cloud will continue to build from the southwest on Saturday, with scattered showers developing.

These showers will be most frequent in the west and north, with good dry periods elsewhere.

Towards the evening, a few more sunny spells will develop. Highest temperatures of 14°C to 17°C generally in mostly light to moderate southwesterly winds, increasing strong at times on western coasts.

Saturday night will be a mild and humid night, with a good deal of cloud. Showers will persist mainly along Atlantic coasts.

It will be drier further east, with just a few odd showers occurring. Met Éireann has said that temperatures won't fall below 10°C or 11°C in mostly moderate southerly winds.

Sunday

Sunday will start off largely cloudy as showers extend across much of the country, but remaining most frequent in the west and north, with the best of the dry periods in the east and southeast.

Later in the afternoon and evening, the cloud will break up, allowing for good sunny spells to develop. Highest temperatures of 14°C to 18°C or 19°C, mildest in the east, in moderate southwest to west winds.

Management notes

Dairy

Aidan Brennan takes a look at how best to manage the introduction of bulls into the dairy herd after the period of AI is over.

Sheep

Darren Carty says that many merchants report that the low value of wool in recent years has in some cases led to a significant deterioration in the quality of wool presented for sale.

Tillage

The year has taken us quickly into the main fungicide season, with the T2 on winter wheat, final sprays on winter barley and fungicides on spring barley and possibly spring oats, Andy Doyle reports.

Beef

Adam Woods has some helpful tips and advice for drystock farms around rush control, red water and keeping an eye on stock bulls.