Volatile weather system to bring high winds and cold 'bursts'

A very unstable Atlantic system is set to dominate our weather for the next seven to ten days, and beyond.

As we head into a very “active” period, there is an increased risk of stormy conditions, followed by sudden cold bursts, that could see Atlantic storms form in a matter of days, making the weather hard to predict.

“It's more 'nowcasting' as opposed to forecasting,” says independent forecaster Cathal Nolan of the Midland Weather Channel.

What is on the charts however is an increased risk of stormy conditions on Sunday into Sunday night, with Atlantic coastal counties at risk of battering winds of up to 120kph.

In the Midlands, winds will pick up on Sunday afternoon and reach up to 90 – 100 kph overnight.

Temperatures are expected to drop considerably on Tuesday, from 10 – 13 degrees over the weekend, to between 7 – 8 degrees on Tuesday.

Wednesday and Thursday will see a “short but sharp burst of cold air”, with temperatures dipping to around 4 – 5 degrees across the Midlands during the day, and close to freezing at night. However, gusty winds may prevent a hard frost from forming.

“Most areas in Westmeath should escape most of the wintry precipitation which will be confined to northern counties,” says Cathal.

He predicts Thursday to be cold and calm, offering a “brief respite” from the stormy conditions, before another really unsettled pattern returns next weekend.