The weekend weather forecast indicates a mix of sunny spells with mild temperatures and heavy showers, according to Met Éireann.

There will be a rather cloudy start today (Friday, May 30) with some patchy mist and drizzle clearing away. The cloud will break up later too with sunny spells and mostly dry weather developing for the afternoon.

There will be some isolated showers at times but most areas will stay dry with highest temperatures of 16°C to 20° with south-westerly breezes.

It will be a largely dry night with good clear spells and any lingering drizzle clearing away.

Cloud will slowly push in from the west however overnight with some mist patches forming too. There will be light south-westerly breezes and lowest temperatures of 7° to 11°.

Looking further at the weekend weather forecast, a cloudy and rather unsettled day on Saturday with a band of rain spreading east across the country with strengthening south-westerly winds.

The rain will be followed by a mix of sunny spells and scattered showers, some possibly heavy in the north-west for a time with highest temperatures of 14° to 18°.

Saturday night is expected to be quite a blustery night with fresh to strong and gusty south-westerly winds in the north-west in particular.

Showers will stream across the country and will be heavy and possibly thundery in the west and north-west as the night goes on with lowest temperatures of 7° to 10°.Staying breezy with a mix of sunshine and showers on Sunday, again possibly heavy in the north for a time early in the morning.

It will stay rather overcast and unsettled through the afternoon and evening. Fresh to strong north-westerly winds will gradually ease with highest temperatures of 13° to 17°.

Showers will die out later on Sunday evening with cloud breaking up too. Longer clear spells will develop especially in the east overnight with north-westerly winds easing further and lowest temperatures of 5° to 8°.Bank Holiday Monday: Starting out largely fine and dry with sunny spells but cloud will push in from the west later and becoming rather cloudy by the afternoon.

Rain will move in from west later in the evening, turning heavy at times too. Highest temperatures will range from 13° to 16° with freshening south-westerly winds.Current indications suggest Tuesday will be another very unsettled day with rain spreading over the country and turning heavy at times too.

Southerly winds will increase strong for a time as the rain passes with highest temperatures of 14° to 17°.

Mostly poor drying conditions over the coming week, due to spells of rain and showers. However, there will be some opportunities away from showers on Friday and Monday, despite the light winds.

There will be limited spraying opportunities over the coming week, due to spells of rain and showers. The best opportunity for spraying will be away from showers on Friday and Monday.

In the north and west of the country, soil moisture deficits (SMD) are between 10mm and 30mm, resulting in some restriction to growth in well drained soils and trafficability in light and medium soils.

SMDs are higher in the south and south-east, between 30mm and 50mm, resulting in some restriction to growth in all soils and trafficability in all soils.

As a result, some growth is restricted and soils are trafficable. SMDs will decrease over the coming week due to further spells of rain.

Soils will remain trafficable in the south and south-east with some restriction to growth, while soils in the west and north will become saturated or waterlogged.

Weather conditions conducive to the spread of potato blight will continue to occur across the country this morning, Friday, May 30.