Sleet may fall later in the day as cold weekend ahead

Weather update from Met Éireann

Today will be cold with scattered showers and some sunny spells. It will turn windy this afternoon and evening with strong and gusty westerly winds, increasing very strong in the northwest, with strong gales at times in coastal areas. Not as windy in the south. Showers will be most widespread this afternoon. Isolated hail and lightning are possible, with some falls of sleet later in the day. Afternoon temperatures of 4 to 7 degrees.

Staying windy at first tonight with westerly winds largely easing overnight. Strong winds will however develop in the southwest. There will be a mix of showers with clear spells, cloudier in Ulster with a band of heavier rain moving down overnight. Some sleet in parts, with snow possible over mountains. Chance of local hail or lightning too. Lows of 0 to +3 degrees with a touch of frost.

Sunday will bring a good deal of cloud with some bright or sunny periods. There will be further showers, prolonged in some areas, with a chance of hail too. Northwest winds will be strong for a time in the southwest tomorrow morning, otherwise westerly winds will be light or moderate. Showers will turn increasingly wintry in the north through the evening. Highs of 4 to 7 degrees.

Showers will mostly become confined to northern counties overnight on Sunday with clearer weather developing elsewhere. Some falls of sleet likely, falling as snow later in the night in the north. Widespread frost will form with ice on untreated surfaces. Lowest temperatures of -3 to -1 degrees. Pockets of freezing fog will also form in light winds, westerly becoming northerly.

Cold weather for the first half of the week with wintry showers, mostly in the north. Turning milder again on Thursday.

Frost or ice will linger in some parts on Monday. There will be sunny spells with wintry showers, some of hail, feeding onto northern facing coasts in a light northwest airflow, and also into the southwest. Turning cloudier with showers possibly becoming more widespread later. Afternoon temperatures of 2 to 6 degrees, coldest in the north.

Widespread sharp frost overnight on Monday with temperatures falling to -3 or -4 degrees, possibly colder locally. Clear spells with scattered wintry showers. Some freezing fog will likely form with little wind.

Tuesday is expected cold with lying frost or ice. Afternoon temperatures of just 1 to 3 degrees. A mostly bright day with showers continuing to feeding into Atlantic and northern areas in a northerly airflow, freshening later. Lowest temperatures of 0 to -3

Sunny spells promised on Wednesday with scattered wintry showers. Highs of 3 to 6 degrees but feeling very cold in a brisk northerly wind. Temperatures will likely fall below zero again on Wednesday night.

Turning much milder on Thursday with a spell of rain and fresh southwest winds moving in from the Atlantic. Staying mild and changeable for the rest of the week.