Major Ireland weather u-turn after weekend sun with temperatures to plunge

A late blast of sun for Ireland this weekend will be short-lived as colder air will push over Ireland from the north next week, according to forecasts.

Parts of the country will enjoy temperatures up to 23C on Saturday and 22C on Sunday as an unseasonable warm airflow makes its way to Ireland from continental Europe.

Met Éireann predicts "a dry and warm day on Saturday with hazy sunny spells."

They say: "It will be cloudier in Ulster during the morning and early afternoon with the chance of an isolated shower there. Fog may linger along some southern coasts. Humid with highest temperatures of 18 to 23 degrees, coolest in Ulster, in light to moderate southerly winds."

The national forecaster also says it will remain warm on Sunday and Monday.

Their forecast for Sunday reads: "Warm and generally dry with a good deal of cloud, though hazy sunshine will develop at times. There is the chance of an isolated shower in the northwest later in the day and fog may linger on some coasts. Highest temperatures of 19 to 23 degrees in light southwest winds.

"A cloudy and mostly dry night [Sunday], though there will be a few showers over the northern half of the country. Very mild with temperatures not falling below 13 to 16 degrees. Mist and fog patches forming in light southwesterly winds."

Another generally dry and warm day is on the cards on Monday, "though cloudy for most with just a few sunny spells."

"There is the chance of patchy light rain over Ulster. Highest temperatures of 17 degrees in the north to 23 degrees in the south in light to moderate southwesterly winds," Met Éireann warns.

Rain will become more widespread on Tuesday as temperatures fall back again to the high teens. Beyond that, temperatures will fall away once more.

"Feeling fresher from Wednesday onwards with daytime temperatures dropping back to the mid to low teens. More unsettled also with showers and outbreaks of rain at times," Met Éireann warns.

In its latest update, Weather Alerts Ireland says: "Temperatures tomorrow [Saturday] are expected to peak around 23°C or even 24°C locally. The best of the sun in the South and South West of the country. Temperatures of 23°C are expected on Sunday also with some nice sunny spells.

"It will be fairly short-lived as cooler air will push in from the north early next week," they added.