Long Range Weather Forecast For Ireland (8 April 2021)

 


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