Brutal forecast from Met Éireann with Status Yellow warning in place for two counties

A wet start is being experienced on Thursday with rain becoming widespread, some of it heavy, especially in the southwest, with spot flooding likely.

Motorists have been urged to drive with care with delays on motorways, due to the weather.

A clearance will move into the southwest later in the morning, according to Met Éireann, and will gradually extend to most parts through the afternoon, though the rain will linger in the northeast until later in the evening. 

There'll be some bright or sunny spells tomorrow, but showers will become fairly widespread, and some will be heavy. There'll be some isolated thunderstorms and the chance of hail, especially across the midlands, east and southeast. Later in the afternoon and evening, a band of more persistent rain will move in across western parts.

Highest temperatures of 13 to 17 degrees in mostly light to moderate west to southwest winds, but with winds increasing fresh to strong and occasionally gusty later in coastal parts of the northwest, west and southwest.

With low pressure dominating, it'll continue generally mixed and changeable for the weekend with showers or longer spells of rain at times in places, some of it heavy. Some dry spells too with sunshine and it'll becoming drier for a time early next week.

Friday night with bring some dry clear spells, but there'll be further showers or longer spells of rain spreading from the west, some of it heavy. Lowest temperatures of 5 to 9 degrees. Breezy in the west and southwest with fresh, occasionally strong and gusty westerly winds, otherwise winds will be light to moderate westerly or variable.

While Saturday will bring some bright or sunny spells at times in places, there'll be further showers or longer spells, again some of it heavy, with a chance of thunder. Highest temperatures of 14 to 17 or 18 degrees in mostly light to moderate variable winds, though westerly winds will be fresh, occasionally strong and gusty, for a time in the west and southwest, strongest in coastal parts.

There'll be further showers early on Saturday night, but they'll tend to die away and it'll become dry in most places with long clear spells developing. Some mist and fog patches are likely though and it'll become cloudy in parts of the north and northwest with showery rain moving in there. Lowest temperatures of 6 to 9 degrees, with winds decreasing mostly light westerly.

It looks like Sunday will bring a mix of weather across the country. It'll most likely be cloudy across the northern half of the country with outbreaks of showery rain, some of it heavy, while it'll be brighter further south with sunshine, but still some showers too. Highest temperatures of 14 to 19 degrees, warmest in the sunshine in the south, in mostly light to moderate westerly winds.