TRENDS for the week of 29 April to 5 May 2021 --
-- Temperatures will average 3 to 4 deg below normal values.
-- Rainfall will average 25 to 50 per cent above normal values, heaviest around Monday and again towards end of the interval.
-- Sunshine will average only about 50 per cent of normal values -- this
is generally the sunniest portion of the year in many parts of the
country with 5 to 6 hours sunshine daily, but this coming week, three
will be a realistic target.
FORECASTS
TODAY will start out partly cloudy, any morning sunshine is likely to
fade behind gradually spreading shower clouds, as scattered showers make
their way gradually south and west, with one or two turning locally
heavy with hail and thunder possible. Very cool for late April, highs
only 9 to 13 C.
TONIGHT will see a return to partly cloudy and mainly dry conditions with scattered light frosts developing, lows -2 to +3 C.
FRIDAY will be almost a repeat of today with a gradual increase in
cloud, scattered showers and a few thunderstorms, and cool temperatures,
with light winds, the showers may not move along very fast once they
develop over any given location, so some locally heavy downpours are
possible. Highs 9 to 13 C.
SATURDAY will be a less unsettled but still quite cool day with light
winds, some sunshine at times, isolated showers and after lows -2 to +3
C, highs near 12 C.
SUNDAY will become more cloudy during the mid-day and afternoon hours,
leading to rain by late in the day. Lows near -1 C and highs near 11 C.
MONDAY looks rather dismal at this point with a well-organized low
pushing in from the west, bringing some intervals of heavy rain and
strong southeast winds, later turning westerly as the low tracks past
central Ireland around mid-day. Rainfalls of 15-30 mm appear possible,
temperatures will be held down by the cloud and rain to around 9-12 C.
OUTLOOK ... some improvements on Tuesday but staying rather cool, then
another frontal boundary rainfall event around mid-week with similar
outcomes to the first one (Monday), then another cycle of dry and
unsettled beyond that although perhaps with warmer air slowly becoming
part of the mixture of air masses. Some more average May weather
conditions appear possible by the middle to end of the second week of
the month.
Peter for IWO