Cold Christmas Eve in store as temperatures to drop tonight

A cold Christmas Eve is in store as temperatures are set to drop quickly tonight (Thursday, Wednesday 24), according to Met Éireann.

As this morning progresses, the cold start with patches of frost and ice is starting to clear, and is expected to leave wintry sunshine for most of the country.

A few passing showers are expected however, mainly affecting Connacht and Ulster, with many parts of the country remaining dry. Highest afternoon temperatures will range from 4° to 7°.

Tonight

Met Éireann forecasts that temperatures will drop quickly after dark this evening, with widespread frost and some icy patches forming under mostly clear skies.

However, frost is expected to clear from parts of west Connacht and west Ulster later in the night, as increasing cloud brings a few patches of drizzle there.

Minimum temperatures will range from -3° to 1° in light breezes, leading to some fog patches developing in the southern half of the country.

Tomorrow

Tomorrow, Christmas Day (Friday, December 25), frost and ice will clear during the morning to leave most of the country dry, with a mix of cloud and sunny spells, the best of these in the east and south of the country.

However, a few patches of light rain are forecasted, mainly across Connacht and west Ulster. By Christmas evening, persistent rain will move in from the Atlantic to affect northwestern counties.

Maximum afternoon temperatures of 5° to 9° are forecasted, with it coldest in the east.

Saturday

Saturday (St. Stephen’s Day) will see increasingly windy conditions, with scattered outbreaks of rain and drizzle.

There will be good dry periods in parts of the east and south for a time, however, heavy rain will develop in northern counties by afternoon, extending nationwide during the afternoon and evening, bringing a risk of localised flooding.

Maximum temperatures of 7° to 11° are expected, in strong to gale force southwest winds.

On Saturday night, heavy rain will clear southwards and it will turn much colder. Clear spells and scattered wintry showers will extend across the country before dawn on Sunday, with some ice forming in sheltered areas.

Minimum temperatures of 0° to 4° in strong and gusty west to northwest winds are forecasted.

Sunday and Monday

Sunday will be a cold and blustery day with bright spells and scattered showers, some wintry in nature. There will be maximum temperatures of 3° to 6° in fresh to strong and gusty west to northwest winds.

Ice will form in places for a time on Sunday night, with lowest temperatures of 0° to 3°. Showers will become fairly widespread during the night, turning wintry in places as strong to gale force northwest winds develop.

It will be cold and windy on Monday with widespread showers, possibly wintry on high ground, with a risk of hail.

There will be highest temperatures of 5° to 8°, but feeling much colder owing to the added wind-chill factor in strong and gusty northwest winds.

It will stay cold and blustery overnight, with a mix of clear spells and scattered showers. There will be minimum temperatures of 1° to 4°, in fresh northwest winds.