Met Éireann polar weather update for Ireland with temps to dip below zero

Temperatures will fall below zero in Ireland this week with Met Éireann forecasting a severe downturn in our weather.

Friday night looks like being the coldest of the week as we head into another unsettled weekend.

Met Éireann's latest forecast says Friday will be "a cold night with frost and ice possible in lowest temperatures of -1 to +2 degrees. Isolated showers will continue in parts of the north for a time before becoming mostly dry later in the night. Some mist and fog will form in light winds."

Between now and then, it will remain cool and unsettled.

They say it will be "wet and breezy" tonight [Tuesday] with rain extending north-eastwards across the country, "accompanied by fresh to strong and gusty southerly winds. Dry and clear conditions with westerly winds will follow from the west later. Lowest temperatures of 3 to 7 degrees.

"Rain will clear from Ulster and Leinster in the morning [Wednesday] with sunny spells and scattered blustery showers following in from the west. Later in the afternoon some of the showers in the north west could be of hail with isolated thunderstorms. Highest temperatures of 7 to 12 degrees in a moderate to fresh and gusty west to southwest wind."

For Wednesday night, forecasters foresee "clear spells and scattered showers will continue with the driest conditions towards the east. Lowest temperatures of 3 to 5 degrees in a light to moderate southwesterly wind, freshening along western and southern coasts."

Thursday will be "another day of sunshine and blustery showers, merging to longer spells of rain at times. Some showers will be heavy with a chance of hail and isolated thunderstorms. Feeling cool with highest temperatures of 7 to 10 degrees, in a moderate to fresh and gusty southwesterly wind.

"Further showers overnight, turning prolonged and heavy at times. Showers will ease towards morning. Lowest temperatures of 3 to 7 degrees in moderate to fresh southwest winds, veering northwest later."

Friday will be "cool and bright with sunshine and scattered showers over the northern half of the country. Turning drier further south. Highest temperatures of 8 to 12 degrees in a light to moderate northwesterly wind."

"A cold night [Friday] with frost and ice possible in lowest temperatures of -1 to +2 degrees. Isolated showers will continue in parts of the north for a time before becoming mostly dry later in the night. Some mist and fog will form in light winds."

There is a little bit of good news as it looks like "remaining dry for most of Saturday with sunny spells and the chance of an odd shower."

However, it will "turn cloudier in the south and southwest through the afternoon, with rain developing in Munster during the evening. Highest temperatures of 7 to 10 degrees in a light easterly breeze."

Beyond that, Met Éireann says things look like "turning more unsettled for the rest of the weekend and into next week with further spells of rain and showers."