IRELAND will be treated to “good sunny spells” and temperatures will take a 16C switch this afternoon after plunging to a chilly 4C last night.
However, it’s not all sunshine on the cards, with showers of rain and heavy wind set to beat down on the country just as thousands gear up to attend Kaleidoscope and Longitude Festival’s this weekend.
Rain is expected throughout the weekend[/caption]
Today will sit at between 14C to 20C as temperatures attempt to climb back up from that cooler overnight turn.
There will be a mix sunshine and scattered showers today with Met Eireann revealing “heavy” rain is set to fall over the northern half of the country.
Thunderstorms are expected there today too as showers spread in from the west.
Met Eireann said: “Today will bring a mix of sunshine and scattered showers, which will spread from the west through the morning and afternoon.
“Some of the showers will be heavy, especially over the northern half of the country, with the chance of few scattered thunderstorms there too.
“A clearance to mainly dry sunny weather will extend eastwards through the afternoon and evening, with just a few lingering isolated showers.
“Highest temperatures of 14C in the northwest to 20C in the east and south in light to moderate westerly breezes.”
Alan O’Reilly, from Carlow Weather, told us there is some more sunshine expected before a weekend turn.
He told The Irish Sun: “It’s a lot cooler but we will have some good sunny spells today and tomorrow, Thursday, but some scattered showers as well.”
However he warned: “Then the wind, the cloud and some more rain moves back in from the north west on Friday and the weekend is looking cloudier, breezy and showery.”
This weekend is a busy one across the country with Longitude happening in Marlay Park in Dublin and Kaleidoscope Festival getting underway in Blessington in Wicklow.
And while Alan O’Reilly said it’s still a little bit early to pinpoint an exact weather forecast, what he can say at the moment is not good news.
He told The Irish Sun: “Be prepared for some rain but it won’t be a washout weekend.
“But it certainly will be cloudy and damp with some some falls of rain.
“It will also be quite breezy so you might want to bring a few extra pegs for your tent.”
Some good hot spells are still expected[/caption]
Met Eireann have estimated temperatures for the weekend will range from the high teens to low 20s, even with that wet weather.
Friday temperatures will sit between 14C to 19C during the day, while overnight temperatures will stay “mild and humid” dropping to just 13C to 17C.
On Saturday temperatures could soar to 22C Met Eireann have promised before coming down to between 10C and 12C overnight.
Sunday will be slightly cooler, with temperatures sitting around 20C.
DANGEROUS CLOUD
And Alan O’Reilly also weighed in on sightings of funnel clouds across Ireland yesterday before the weather turns a little stormy today.
These clouds were spotted along the west coast in places such as Galway.
He explained these clouds, often recognised as the start of a tornado, are a rotating, cone-shaped column of air extending from the bottom of a cloud.
When these reach the ground they turn into tornados, but Alan explained it is unlikely here.
He said: “When they come down and touch the ground then they become a tornado.
“But a lot of funnel clouds never reach the ground and are like the ones that were spotted in Galway yesterday.”
He added: “Tornadoes are very rare in Ireland and I mean we do get them but they’re very rare in Ireland.”
