Met Éireann has said that this weekend will be generally cloudy across the country with showers or light rain.

The national meteorological service said that today (Friday, July 12) will be dry in many areas but scattered showers will extend from the northwest during the morning and afternoon.

The best of the sunny spells will be in the south and east later in the day, remaining cloudy in the northwest.

Highest afternoon temperatures of 15° to 18°C in a light northerly wind.

Staying cloudy tonight with isolated showers moving southwards as the night progresses. There will be variable light winds and lowest temperatures of 8° to 12°.

Saturday morning (July 13) will be cloudy with some light rain and drizzle. Some sunny breaks will develop later in the day with scattered showers in places. Highest temperatures of 15° to 19°, northerly or variable winds will be light.

It will be mainly dry on Saturday night with some clear spells, mist and fog patches will form in the calm conditions. Lowest temperatures of 8° to 11°

After a dry start with sunny spells, scattered showers will develop on Sunday (July 14). Rain and drizzle will arrive in the southwest during the evening. Highest temperatures of 16° to 20° in light to moderate southerly or variable winds.

Rain and drizzle over Munster will spread to Connacht and Leinster on Sunday night, drier in Ulster. Lowest temperatures of 10° to 13° in a light easterly breeze.

Monday (July 14) will be cloudy with rain extending across the country, some heavy and thundery falls will be possible. Highest temperatures of 16° to 19°.

Scattered showers in the west will spread across the country during Tuesday (July 15), sunny spells will develop later in the day. There will be light to moderate west to southwesterly breezes and highest temperatures of 15° to 18°.

The current forecast shows that there will be unsettled conditions later in the week with showers and rain.

Met Éireann has said that rainfall amounts will be below average across much of the country for the coming week ranging, but above average rainfall is expected in the south.

Air temperatures are expected to remain 1° to 2° below average this coming week, with mean values between 13° and 15°.

Soil temperatures are generally within a degree above or below average, with soils ranging between 13.7° and 16.9°.

Drying conditions will be moderate until Sunday, though a few showers are still likely.

Spraying opportunities will improve for most areas today and over the weekend, although there will be showers at times.

Soil moisture deficits (SMDs) across all soil types across much of the midlands, southeast and northwest are currently between 10 and 29mm. Elsewhere, the values are generally between 30 and 50mm, causing some restriction to growth.

Over the coming week, Met Éireann said that SMDs will remain similar or increase slightly.