Snow and sleet in subzero Ireland weather forecast amid Met Eireann u-turn

While Met Éireann is predicting mild conditions with temperatures in the teens this week, weather models suggest a major u-turn is on the cards next week with plunging temperatures, wind and possibly sleet or snow.

That's according to two weather forecasters who both accurately predicted last week's wintry weather, Cathal Nolan from Ireland's Weather Channel and Alan O'Reilly from Carlow Weather.

They are both now predicting a downturn in temperatures and some pretty unsettled weather with strong winds next week.

Cathal Nolan said that while the rest of this week and early days of next week would be mild, "a colder spell of weather takes hold with a risk of strong winds and wintry showers of sleet and snow" from next Wednesday, February 21 onwards.

Alan O'Reilly similarly says there will be "unsettled and mild weather for rest of week with Friday the best looking day with least rain" but that "weather model trends show a colder outlook from around 22nd but lot of uncertainty yet."

Met Éireann have not yet released a specific forecast for next week but their extended forecast for the period says "storms cannot be ruled out" given the time of year and that towards the ends of the month, "a change is expected with low pressure over eastern Europe edging further eastwards and it will turn a little cooler in general."

Their forecast for the rest of this week remains unsettled but mild. They say it will be "wet for a time this evening [Wednesday] and early tonight with widespread outbreaks of rain and drizzle.

"While the rain and drizzle will tend to ease off, it will remain damp and locally wet especially further east. Hill, mist and coastal fog will persist too. Mild and calm overnight with lows of 8 to 11 degrees."

"Overnight rain and drizzle will persist across the East and South for a time into Thursday. While drier conditions will develop nationwide, overall staying dull with patches of mist and drizzle still embedded in the flow. Another relatively mild and calm day with highs of 11 to 13 degrees."

The further Met Éireann outlook reads: "Rather cloudy with rain gradually clearing away to the east [on Thursday night]. Clear and dry spells developing from the west as the night goes on with generally light winds. Lowest temperatures of 5 to 9 degrees with some mist patches lingering in the northwest.

"A cloudy start for many with a few light showers too [on Friday]. The showers will become a little more widespread across southern counties but further north will see more of dry and perhaps sunny weather. Rather mild too with highs of 9 to 13 degrees.

"Any showers will clear away with some clear spells developing from early in the evening. Winds will fall light too allowing for some mist and fog to form which may be slow to clear on Saturday morning. Lowest temperatures of 2 to 6 degrees.

"Becoming quite cloudy with rain developing along western counties at first [on Saturday], turning heavy at times too. Dry weather further east before the rain arrives later in the afternoon. Light southeast winds becoming fresh later with highs of 8 to 12 degrees.

"Cloudy with outbreaks of rain and drizzle, slowly clearing away to the east [Saturday night]. Staying cloudy overnight with a light southerly breeze backing westerly before dawn. Another mild night with lows of 6 to 10 degrees."

Met Eireann adds that "current models suggest another cloudy day with outbreaks of rain and drizzle. Staying rather mild however with highs of around 11 to 14 degrees."