Long Range Weather Forecast For Ireland (4 March 2021)


 TRENDS for the week of 4 to 10 March 2021 --

-- Temperatures will average 1 to 2 deg below normal values.
-- Rainfall will gradually edge up later in the period towards a total around 75 per cent of normal.
-- Sunshine will be rather limited at best, 50 per cent of normal might be the best of it.


FORECASTS

TONIGHT will be partly cloudy and cold with lows -1 to +3 C. Some isolated and possibly sleety showers most likely in Ulster, Connacht and north Leinster.

FRIDAY will be partly cloudy with cool easterly breezes at times, highs 7 to 10 C.

SATURDAY will be cloudy with a few brighter intervals, and occasional light rain perhaps more persistent in the west, lows -1 to +3 C and highs 7 to 10 C.

SUNDAY will be partly cloudy, breezy with passing showers, winds southwest 40 to 70 km/hr, highs near 11 C.

MONDAY will likely start off wet as a front passes, then turn more partly cloudy by afternoon, highs near 11 C. Winds becoming westerly 50 to 80 km/hr.

TUESDAY will be windy with outbreaks of rain (5-15 mm potential), winds southwest 60 to 90 km/hr, highs near 12 C.

WEDNESDAY into THURSDAY still presents a bit of a challenge for the models as a second low is expected but its track is not confirmed, could be through parts of the south-central counties or off the south coast, which will determine to some extent whether it has any potential to become wintry for a brief interval around Thursday morning, but temperatures will be at best around 7 or 8 C and a more certain outcome towards the end is that strong west to northwest winds will sweep in behind the low on whatever track it takes, lasting into FRIDAY and bringing temperatures in the 5-8 C range, so feeling quite raw in strong winds reaching 70-100 km/hr at times.

This stretch of rather inclement weather will then be replaced by much nicer weather conditions towards the weekend of the 13th-14th and into the following week, with high pressure returning to a dominant position just about over top of Ireland and somewhat warmer in general with highs into the 12-15 C range likely.

Peter O'Donnell for IWO