As Ireland's heatwave comes to an end, Met Éireann has forecasted mixed and changeable weather conditions for the coming week.

It will be cooler and fresher than recently, but turning a little milder around midweek.

Today, Monday, bands of showery rain will continue to clear northwards this morning with sunny spells and scattered showers following from the south-west.

Cloud will increase in the south-west and west as the day goes on, with more prolonged showers developing in these parts.

Some heavy and thundery downpours are possible, the national forescaster said.

It will feel cooler and fresher than of late with highest temperatures of 15° to 21°, with moderate to fresh and gusty south to south-west winds developing, strong at times on southern and south-western coasts.

Showers or longer spells of rain are expected tonight, turning heavy and possibly thundery at times.

There will be lowest temperatures of 9° to 13° with light to moderate variable winds over much of the country, but fresh to strong south to south-west winds in the south.

Tomorrow, Tuesday, will be mostly cloudy with spells of rain, possibly heavy and thundery at first.

It will brighten up from the west through the morning with a mix of sunny spells and showers, with mainly dry conditions developing in the west for the afternoon and extending eastwards in the evening.

Highest temperatures of 16° to 20° with moderate to fresh north-west winds developing are expected, strong at first near southern coasts.

Tuesday night will be mainly dry with clear spells but thickening cloud in the south-west will bring outbreaks of rain near the south-west coast by morning.

Areas of mist and fog will form also, as winds fall light and variable.

Any mist and fog will clear during Wednesday morning and it will be bright for a time in the north and east with some hazy sunshine.

However, cloud with outbreaks of rain and drizzle in the south-west will gradually extend northeastwards over the country through the day.

There will be highest temperatures of 17° to 21° with light to moderate south to south-east winds.

It will be cloudy with outbreaks of rain on Wednesday night, turning heavy at times.

It will be mild with temperatures not falling below 13° to 17°, in light to moderate southerly winds.

Thursday will be mostly cloudy with outbreaks of rain breaking up into showers and sunny spells during the afternoon and evening.

Some of the showers will be heavy with a chance of isolated thunderstorms.

There will be highest temperatures of 18° to 23° with light to moderate south to south-west winds.

On Friday, current indications suggest variable cloud amounts with some sunshine and scattered showers.

Highest temperatures of 17° to 21° in light south-west or variable breezes are expected.

Latest farming commentary issued by Met Éireann on Saturday said that over the past week, rainfall amounts were below average for most of Ireland and just above average in the north-west.

Rainfall amounts will be above average widely into this week, with amounts of between 20mm and 65mm forecast generally. It looks set to be driest in the east and wettest in the west.

Over the coming week, mean air temperatures are expected to be between 1° and 2° above normal, ranging from 16° to 18°. Mean soil temperatures will continue above normal.

While drying conditions were good or very good up to Sunday, they will deteriorate somewhat this week.

Spraying opportunities will be limited this week due to outbreaks of showers and rain in the forecast. The next best opportunity will be later Tuesday evening.

Moderately and well-drained soils in the north, west and far south-west are close to saturation, with poorly drained soils there waterlogged.

Elsewhere, soils are drier, with soil moisture deficits currently ranging between 10mm and 60mm for all soil types, highest in the south, with some restriction to growth.

Soil moisture deficits are likely to decrease in parts of the west and south-west with the forecasted showers and rain in the coming days.