Weekend sunshine and warm temperatures may last into next week

Holiday makers and day trippers took to the beaches on Saturday as a late blast of summer sunshine hit the island.

The good news is that sunshine and warm temperatures are expected to be in place again on Sunday and there is even hope – after a slight wobble on Sunday night – of further good weather in the week ahead.

According to Met Éireann’s Mark Bowe, the pleasant conditions are due to high pressure drifting over the country bringing mainly settled, good weather.

“This high pressure is nicely centred to the east of us, over the UK, which is actually a good thing. This will mean we have a south easterly breeze over the country, so that drags up all that nice, warm air from continental Europe”.

He said more of the same could be expected for the first half of Sunday, but warned the high pressure “does start to slip just a little enough to allow a front out in the Atlantic to move over us on Sunday evening.”

“So we’re going to have heavy showers starting in the southwest at first on Sunday evening, which will then move northeast across the country during Sunday night.”

But he said the good spells of sunshine experienced on Saturday and Sunday will be around later next week. There are “signs of high pressure moving over from midweek” he said.

Sunday also sees the start of the meteorological Autumn and while temperatures are expected to dip Met Éireann’s detailed forecast is for highest temperatures of 15 to 19 degrees in light to moderate variable or west to northwest winds, on Monday.

Similar temperatures are expected to feature on Tuesday, with mixed weather featuring occasional showers, some of them heavy.

Wednesday is expected to feature more sunny spells and scattered lighter showers. Highest temperatures of 15 to 19 degrees in light north or northeasterly breezes.