TRENDS for the week of 18 to 24 May, 2021 --
-- Temperatures will average 1 to 2 deg below normal values.
-- Rainfall will average near normal to 25 per cent above normal in the inland north.
-- Sunshine will average 75 per cent of normal values.
-- Rather light winds until Thursday then strong winds gradually abating to moderate on Friday, generally moderate wind speeds from then to Monday.
FORECASTS
TONIGHT will bring an end to the showers for a while, and partly cloudy to clear skies will develop again, lows in the 2 to 5 C range.
WEDNESDAY will have some brighter intervals in the morning to mid-day hours, then increasing cloud, just isolated showers mostly in parts of west Munster and northern counties. Winds generally light southerly but increasing by evening to southerly 40-70 km/hr. Highs 12 to 15 C.
OVERNIGHT into THURSDAY periods of rain and strong southwest winds developing, 50 to 80 km/hr, variable cloud with passing showers by mid-day and afternoon, highs in the south 14 to 17 C, but the north will stay in somewhat cooler air and winds will turn more to an easterly direction as low pressure arrives on the west coast by late in the day, leading to a steady rain in the north (10-20 mm amounts generally in all regions).
FRIDAY this disturbance should be steadily moving away into Britain leaving behind a moderate west to northwest flow (40 to 70 km/hr) with partly cloudy skies and isolated showers, cool with temperatures steady around 11 to 13 C.
SATURDAY will be partly cloudy to overcast and cool with outbreaks of showery rain at times, winds westerly at about 40 to 70 km/hr. Lows near 4 C and highs 12 to 14 C.
SUNDAY and MONDAY will be quite cool as winds turn more northerly, and temperatures could be only around 12 to 14 C for highs, with occasional showers.
The OUTLOOK is for drier weather to set in later next week, still unclear whether there will be an accompanying warmer temperature trend or just more sunshine making it perhaps feel a bit warmer even if temperatures don't necessarily come up much. There are some guidance maps suggesting a bit of an easterly flow with this stronger high pressure area, if so that will perhaps lead to an east-west difference of several degrees (14 to 19 C) with the west warmer.
Peter for IWO.