Met Éireann pinpoints when temperatures will plunge below freezing after wet and mild days

Forecasters tracking ‘persistent’ rain to lash into Ireland

Fog and frost after cold overnight temperatures

Met Éireann has forecast temperatures to fall back below freezing after a handful of wet but mild days this week. The week started chilly, but midweek days like today and tomorrow are expected to bring much milder conditions than recent days, with temperatures even set to reach the mid-teens. However, it will be wet and wild with forecasters consistently using the word ‘persistent’ to describe rain to come – and a chance of thunderstorms and hail too.

While morning drivers may have gotten a brief break from having to defrost their cars, there’s no let-up in unfavourable travel conditions, as the roads are wet and visibility is poor. Already, there have been collisions on Cork roads early on Wednesday morning.

Tomorrow, there’s a chance of thunderstorms and hail as the driving rain continues overnight. By Friday night, some areas will see the mercury plunge back to 0 degrees, with the chance of frost, ice, and fog patches, as conditions turn much colder than they have in previous days. And on Saturday, experts are predicting temperatures back down to -2 in parts.

There will hopefully be some brighter interludes over this weekend. Overall, expect very unsettled weather, with low pressure tracking close to Ireland, bringing more wet and windy weather into next week.

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Here’s the latest for Cork and Munster:

Today – Cloudy and dull start with outbreaks of rain and drizzle, which will be fairly widespread at first. The persistent rain will clear eastwards through the morning, but with further patches of light rain and drizzle to follow, along with fairly widespread misty and some foggy conditions. Milder than recent days with highest temperatures of 11 to 14 degrees with mostly moderate southerly winds, becoming light to moderate southwest to west through the morning, backing southwest later and freshening along the west coast. Cloudy and misty tonight with scattered outbreaks of rain and drizzle. There’ll be some hill and coastal fog too. A mild night with temperatures not falling below 10 to 13 degrees, so similar to the daytime values. Becoming breezier through the night with southwest winds increasing moderate to fresh and occasionally gusty, becoming strong along the west coast later in the night.

Tomorrow – Thursday will be a rather windy day, and it’ll be cloudy for a time, with scattered outbreaks of rain and drizzle, along with some mist and hill and coastal fog. A band of more persistent rain will spread from the west through the morning and early afternoon, and will be followed by brighter, drier weather with sunshine. Some scattered showers will follow, too, mainly in the west later. Mild with highest temperatures of 12 to 14 degrees, but it’ll turn a little cooler as the rain clears. Southwesterly winds will increase fresh to strong and gusty, with winds reaching near gale force on western coasts. Breezy or rather windy on Thursday night with a mix of clear spells and showers. The showers will mainly affect the north and west for much of the night, and some will be heavy, including hail, but will gradually spread further eastward overnight. Lowest temperatures of 5 to 8 degrees with fresh to strong and gusty southwesterly winds, reaching near gale or gale force in northwestern and some western coastal parts.

Friday – A blustery day with fairly widespread showers, which will turn heavy at times with a possibility of hail and thunder. There’ll be some sunny spells mixed in, too. Colder than previous days with highest temperatures of 7 to 10 degrees in moderate to fresh southwesterly winds, strong to near gale force in coastal parts of the northwest, west and southwest. Friday night: There’s some uncertainty in the forecast for Friday night. There’s a chance that a small-scale area of low pressure may develop close to the south of Ireland, bringing persistent heavy rain for a time, with the possibility of strong winds as well. However, this area of low pressure will most likely remain further to the south, in which case we’ll see a mix of clear spells and scattered heavy showers, some of which may include hail and possibly thundery conditions. In this most likely scenario, the winds are likely to gradually ease, with a chance of frost, ice, and some fog patches developing, and lowest temperatures of 0 to 6 degrees. Saturday – While there’s a small chance of some persistent rain early in the day in the east and south, it appears that Saturday will be a day of sunshine and scattered showers, which may turn heavy at times, with a continued possibility of hail and thunder. The showers will become more confined to the west and north later. A cold enough day with highest temperatures of 6 to 9 degrees with mostly moderate west to northwest winds, possibly fresher for a time in the southwest. Saturday night: There’ll be a few scattered showers in parts of the west and north, but it’ll be dry and clear in many areas. A cold night with some frost and ice forming, as winds generally fall light and temperatures drop to between -2 and +3 degrees. Sunday – A cold and frosty start on Sunday, with some sunshine for a time, especially further east. However, it’ll turn cloudier from the west, with rain and drizzle gradually spreading eastwards. Highest temperatures of 5 to 10 degrees in freshening southerly winds. The current outlook for next week is very unsettled, with low pressure tracking close to or over Ireland, bringing some wet and windy weather at times.