Met Éireann is forecasting increasingly unsettled conditions this week as the high pressure declines and a more active Atlantic airflow takes hold. It will turn colder later in the week too.

Monday will be largely cloudy, with patchy light rain and drizzle, mainly in western and southern coastal counties. There will be occasional sunny breaks also.

The highest temperatures will be 9°C to 12°C in moderate south to southwest winds, freshening on northwest coasts later. Patchy rain and light drizzle will turn more persistent overnight.

Tuesday

Tuesday will be breezy and mostly cloudy, with occasional outbreaks of light rain or drizzle. Highest temperatures will range from 10°C to 12°C in moderate southerly winds. Winds will pick up later in the afternoon as a band of rain crosses the country eastwards during the evening, winds becoming strong on western coasts too. It will turn cold overnight but remain dry overall.

Wednesday

Wednesday will be changeable, with breezy and showery conditions bringing longer spells of rain at times. There will be dry and bright spells also, the best of which will be further east. Highest temperatures will range from 9°C to 11°C in fresh and gusty southwest winds, strong in western coastal areas.

Thursday

Thursday morning will bring showery rain in some areas, with a band of heavier rain crossing the country during the day. Highest temperatures will range from 8°C to 12°C in fresh and gusty winds.

Widespread showers will follow the rain and continue overnight, with a risk of some heavy showers in the west and northwest. It will turn cold, with lowest temperatures of 1°C to 4°C, and showers possibly turning wintry at times. Southwest winds will become strong in western coastal areas.

Friday

Friday will be breezy or windy, with widespread showers mixed with bright and sunny spells. Thre is a risk of showers being heavy, possibly turning wintry at times. It will feel cold, with highs of 5°C to 8°C and fresh westerly winds, strongest along Atlantic coasts. Showers will likely ease overnight, but it will remain breezy. Lowest temperatures will range from 1°C to 5°C.

At this stage, Met Éireann is forecasting an unsettled and changeable weekend, with spells of wet and windy weather likely.

Farming forecast

Drying conditions

Although it will likely be dry for most until midday Tuesday, winds will be mainly light, so drying conditions will be moderate at best. From Tuesday onwards, there will be rain or showers most days with drying conditions expected to deteriorate.

Spraying

There will be good spraying opportunities until Tuesday with mostly dry, settled weather and light to moderate breezes. There will be fewer opportunities from Tuesday onwards as the weather will be gradually becoming more unsettled.

Field conditions

Most moderately or well-drained soils are trafficable. Soils are driest across the south. With the predominately dry conditions up until Tuesday, soil moisture deficits are generally set to increase in most areas. However, poorly drained soils will remain saturated in the west and north. Field trafficability will deteriorate from Tuesday onwards.

Grass growth

With soil temperatures above normal and the approach of the spring equinox, grass growth rates will continue to improve this coming week.