TRENDS for the week of 21 to 27 May, 2021
-- Temperatures will average 2 to 3 deg below normal values (now at around 18 C for max, 8 C for min).
-- Rainfall will average about 75 per cent of normal, overnight Saturday-Sunday the heaviest this coming week.
-- Sunshine will average about 75 per cent of normal, a blend of 50 per cent to Monday, then 100-125 per cent.
-- Winds will gradually drop back to moderate levels later today, and remain there most of the time.
FORECASTS
TODAY will be cloudy with a few sunny breaks, and some further outbreaks of rain in gusty northwest to north winds of 50 to 80 km/hr. There may be some improvements by this afternoon in western counties at least. Highs only reaching about 12-14 C and some higher areas closer to 10 C. About 3-5 mm further rainfalls likely.
TONIGHT will see some partial clearing with only isolated showers, quite cold for this time of year, lows 1 to 4 C.
SATURDAY will have variable amounts of cloud at first, then overcast skies by afternoon, less windy and backing to a southerly direction by mid-day or afternoon, highs 12 to 15 C. SATURDAY NIGHT will become rather windy for a time with heavy showers developing, 10-15 mm rain expected by Sunday morning with temperatures steady in the range of 6 to 9 C.
SUNDAY will be cloudy with a few brighter intervals, and passing showers, some heavy with thunder and hail. A further 5-10 mm rain likely. Highs 12 to 15 C.
MONDAY will be mostly cloudy with occasional light rain, cool, lows near 7 C and highs 12 to 15 C.
TUESDAY will be partly cloudy with northerly breezes, cool, lows 2 to 5 C and highs 13 to 16 C.
WEDNESDAY will be partly cloudy with more generous sunshine than most days recently, lows 1 to 4 C and highs 14 to 18 C.
THURSDAY may be somewhat more cloudy as a weak disturbance passes, scattered showers but not much accumulation from them, lows near 7 C and highs near 16 C.
The further outlook is a bit uncertain but most guidance has a dry theme, some dispute about wind directions which would influence what part of the country gets warmer temperatures that seem to be inevitable for the end of the month (starting to recover to near normal values by the final weekend and Monday 31st). One model that has been doing well recently shows the warmth being from a westerly flow which would favour Leinster, other guidance is sticking to that earlier theme of an easterly wind developing as they have high pressure further north, and that would favour Connacht and west Munster. In any case, it should be an improved weather pattern late in the month, but any hope of that being prolonged and lasting into June needs to be set aside for a while as we may get a bit of a reload of the current pattern in early June, hopefully it will be a weaker and less sustained version with an earlier exit to warmer and drier conditions.