TRENDS for the week of 10 to 16 Jan 2021
-- Temperatures will be near normal for mid-January.
-- Rainfall amounts will be 50 to 75 per cent of normal.
-- Sunshine will be near normal, or slightly below in some areas.
FORECASTS
TODAY will be partly cloudy, turning milder with any remaining frost quickly dissipating across the inland south. Highs 7 to 10 C. Some light rain may begin to fall near Atlantic coasts by afternoon.
TONIGHT will be overcast with rain spreading into western and then central counties, foggy at times, lows 4 to 7 C.
MONDAY will see rain tapering to showers, with partial clearing late in the day, moderate westerly breezes, highs in the range of 7 to 10 C (coolest north/east).
TUESDAY will also have outbreaks of rain, most areas except possibly east Ulster will be mild with highs 8 to 11 C, but east Ulster could remain closer to 5-7 C.
WEDNESDAY will see the rain ending mid-day after 20-30 mm total amounts over the two days. Some clearing will follow as winds turn from southwest to westerly, not overly strong for this time of year (40-60 km/hr). Temperatures rising slowly during the overnight will peak near 12 C mid-day then fall off again slowly.
THURSDAY will be partly cloudy and a bit cooler again, lows near 3 C and highs near 7 C.
FRIDAY will bring increasing cloud with rain by evening, lows near 2 C and highs near 9 C.
OUTLOOK ... at least one more round of milder air with rain early next weekend, possibly a second one after that around Monday 18th, then turning colder in stages mid-week and possibly becoming very cold at times, although guidance for that is somewhat inconclusive and also a bit far off to be too certain.
Peter O'Donnell for IWO