TRENDS for the week of 13-19 January --
-- Temperatures will average near normal values, with some inland south averages near 1-2 deg below normal.
-- Rainfall will be very slight where any does occur, around Saturday, most places will average 5-10 per cent of normal.
-- Sunshine may work out near average but some places will have plenty while others get stuck with persistent cloud.
-- Winds very light generally, sometimes picking up to the low end of "moderate" range around Saturday.
FORECAST
TODAY will be rather cloudy with a few locations enjoying longer sunny spells. Some morning fog may be rather persistent. Temperatures will respond slowly where fog persists, but otherwise highs of 7 to 9 C can be expected.
TONIGHT will be partly cloudy with a few clear spots prone to fog and frost formation, lows -2 to +3 C.
FRIDAY will be mostly cloudy with some persistent fog and highs in the range of 4 to 8 C, colder where fog persists.
SATURDAY will see some slight increase in wind speeds as high pressure weakens, winds southeast 30-50 km/hr, mostly cloudy skies, and outbreaks of drizzle or very light rain more likely in the south and west. Lows near 1 C and highs near 7 C.
SUNDAY high pressure will return and this next variety may be slightly colder in general, would expect lows of -3 to +1 C and highs 4 to 8 C each day from Sunday to late in the week, with some sunshine here and there, considerable low cloud, and widespread morning fog, sometimes freezing fog with isolated occurrences of black ice and hazardous driving conditions, most likely to show up in the inland southeast and midlands.
There is no reliable guidance on when this rather static weather pattern might finally break down or what might follow. There are some signs that it could persist right through the following week and into the week beyond that.
The Irish Weather Online daily long-range forecast is provided by Peter O'Donnell.