Heavy rain today and conditions set to get colder

Weather Update

A Status Yellow rainfall warning remains in place until 9pm this evening (Tuesday) for counties for Cavan, Meath, Monaghan, Longford, Westmeath Louth, and all of Connacht.

Met Éireann is warning: "Heavy rainfall will lead to accumulations of 30 to 50mm, with higher accumulations in mountainous areas. This will bring a risk of some river and localised flooding."

Meanwhile, the weather forecast for today says it will be a wet, breezy morning with widespread rain, heavy at times with a risk of localised flooding.

Cold with highest temperatures of just 3 to 7 degrees in light northerly or variable breezes. Some of the rain may fall as sleet with snow on high ground later in the day.

There will be a clearance in the rain tonight from the northwest. Well scattered showers will gradually extend over all but the east of the province by dawn. Lowest temperatures of -2 to +2 degrees in light northerly breezes.

Tomorrow (Wednesday) the rain will be confined to the east of the province. Good sunny spells will develop elsewhere with scattered showers along with a risk of hail. Highest temperatures of 3 to 5 degrees in light to moderate north to northwest breezes.

Conditions will turn colder for the rest of the week with widespread frosts at nights. Expect showery conditions, with falls of rain, sleet and hail with some good sunny spells too.

Wednesday night will see rain along eastern coasts at first, with some sleet and snow on high ground in the Irish Sea. Scattered blustery showers, mainly in the western half of the country will also turn wintry at times overnight. A frost will set in with good clear spells and lowest temperatures of -2 to +2 degrees in a light to moderate westerly wind, fresher on western and southern coasts.

The national weather forecaster says Thursday will be a cool day with good sunny spells. Widespread showers over the western half of the country, more scattered further east will bring a risk of hail and some wintry falls. Highest temperatures of 4 to 7 degrees in mainly moderate westerly winds.

Showers will become mostly confined to northern and westerly coastal counties on Thursday night as westerly winds ease. Lowest temperatures of -1 to +1 degrees.

The outlook for Friday is for good sunny spells generally, but staying cloudier in the south. Showers most frequent along Atlantic coastal counties with well scattered showers further inland. Highest temperatures of 3 to 6 degrees in light or near calm conditions. Turning very cold through the evening with a widespread frost setting in. Showers will continue in the northwest overnight. Lowest temperatures of -4 to -1 degrees in light breezes allowing fog to develop.

Looking ahead to the weekend and it is set to remain cold with sunny spells and scattered showers with wintry falls. Highest temperatures ranging from 2 to 6 degrees. Widespread frost both nights with temperatures dropping to -4 degrees in places.