Met Éireann said that mainly dry and settled weather is forecast to develop across the country from the middle of this week.

This morning (Monday, March 16), rain and drizzle will spread north-eastwards, with the heaviest falls in Connacht and Ulster.

Drier conditions will develop in the afternoon, with some drizzle, hill mist, and coastal fog in parts.

Highest temperatures of 10° to 12°C in freshening south-west winds.

Cloudy with patches of mist and drizzle tonight, lowest temperatures of 4° to 9°, feeling coolest across Ulster under clear skies.

Met Éireann

Tuesday (St. Patrick's Day), will be a mild and windy day, with some rain in Atlantic counties, staying largely dry elsewhere with some sunny spells.

Highest temperatures of 11° to 15° in a fresh to strong and gusty south-west wind.

Mostly dry on Tuesday night with some mist, drizzle and fog in places. Overnight lows of 2° to 9° in light to moderate south-west breezes.

Wednesday will bring patchy rain or drizzle, but some areas will stay dry with sunny spells.

It will feel mild in highest temperatures of 11° to 16° with light easterly or variable breezes.

Thursday is forecast to be a mild and sunny day with afternoon highs of 12° to 18° and moderate easterly winds.

Another dry day with spells of hazy sunshine on Friday in just light easterly breezes. Highest daytime temperatures of 12° to 17°.

The current indications suggest the dry and settled weather will continue into the weekend.

Met Éireann

Met Éireann said that rainfall amounts over the coming week will be below average.

Amounts of under 10mm are expected for most areas and between 10 and 23mm in west Connacht

Over the next seven days, mean temperatures and soil temperatures will continue above average by about 2°.

Drying conditions will improve from midweek with mostly dry conditions forecast.

Spraying opportunities will be limited over the first half of the week with better opportunities from Thursday.

Met Éireann said that most poorly drained and some moderately drained soils are waterlogged with all other soils saturated.

Soil conditions and trafficability are expected to improve from Wednesday onwards.