Photo: Tonduff South in Wicklow.
TRENDS for the week of 8 to 14 April 2021 --
-- Temperatures will average 2 to 5 deg below normal, coldest in the
inland southeast. There will be a gradual moderation of the more severe
chill after Monday.
-- Rainfalls will be 50 to 75 per cent of normal in the north, 25 per cent near the south coast.
-- Sunshine will be about 75 per cent of normal, and that relies on
Wednesday of next week being a sunny day, so more like 50 per cent up
until then. Winds will continue to be moderate westerly to northerly.
FORECASTS
TODAY will be cloudy with a few sunny intervals in the south. A few
light showers will develop across the north, turning heavier by mid-day
and afternoon. This cold front will begin to sink south overnight. Highs
8 to 11 C. Rainfalls with the front about 5-10 mm (only arriving in
many areas tonight or early Friday).
TONIGHT will see a band of rain drifting further south, and
precipitation may begin to turn to sleet or snow over parts of Ulster
towards morning. Lows there 1-3 C, further south, 3-5 C.
FRIDAY will become cold again with mixed wintry showers, possibly some
accumulations of snow in parts of the north and some central counties
too. About 1-3 cm potential with these snow showers, northerly winds 40
to 60 km/hr and highs 4 to 7 C.
SATURDAY will start off with some sharp frosts in the inland southeast
and some central counties, lows -5 to -1 C. The day will once again
become rather cloudy with outbreaks of wintry showers and some further
accumulations of snow possible. Highs 4 to 7 C.
SUNDAY will be slightly milder but still quite cold for the time of
year, morning lows -2 to +3 C and afternoon highs around 8 C. Some
further showers but less wintry.
MONDAY will be a similar day to today, partly to mostly cloudy with highs near 10 C and some rain mainly in the north.
The guidance is beginning to shift a bit with the next potential reload
taking a more gentle turn and instead of a push of colder air, building
in of high pressure that while frosty at night for the mid-week period
may be capable of allowing sunshine to warm temperatures up to almost
seasonal values, 10 to 12 C looks possible now. This trend will probably
turn to a slow warming to values near or even above normal within the
week that follows. We may see a payoff for this cold weather in terms of
a warm spell near the end of the month. February and March both took
that route so it would not come as a big surprise.
Peter for IWO