Weather: cloudy and misty outlook

Today will be generally cloudy and misty. There will be patchy light rain or drizzle at times, becoming more widespread during the afternoon. A milder day countrywide with highest temperatures of 9 to 11 degrees, in moderate, occasionally fresh, southwesterly breezes.

More persistent rain will move eastwards across the southern half of the country early tonight, but will remain patchy further north. Mild early in the night in moderate southwesterly winds, but later as winds veer northwesterly temperatures will decrease to between 2 and 5 degrees generally. Coldest in the west where there may be a touch of frost and some icy patches.

Thursday will see cloud and rain will gradually clear from the east in the morning, leaving a mostly dry day with sunny spells and just some well scattered showers, mainly in the north and west. Highest afternoon temperatures of 6 to 8 degrees in a light to moderate northwesterly breeze.

Thursday night will be dry and cold with clear spells countrywide at first but cloud will thicken in the west overnight. Lowest temperatures of -1 to +3 degrees, so frost will return to some places. Mist and fog patches possible too, as winds fall light.