Unsettled weather to end 2023 but a bright start to 2024!

A slow moving low pressure system will dominate Ireland’s weather over the weekend, bringing strong and gusty winds through Saturday and into Sunday, which will be accompanied by heavy rain and thundery showers.

Figure 1: Low pressure tracking across the country this weekend

Met Éireann meteorologist Liz Coleman said “There is a lot of weather coming our way over the weekend. South-easterly winds will veer westerly and intensify on Friday night as a band of rain crosses the country. The rain will be heavy at times with localised flooding possible, leading to difficult travelling conditions. Gales along coasts coupled with spring tides may lead to wave overtopping on exposed coasts”.

Figure  2: Wind Forecast

Met Éireann have issued wind and rain warnings. Details can be found on the Weather Warnings page.

There will be some respite from the rain through the afternoon on Saturday as it clears into the Irish sea by the afternoon. However southwest to west winds will continue strong and gusty steering some heavy and possibly thundery showers over mainly the western of the country through Saturday.

Liz continued “By Sunday morning (New Years Eve) the winds will have veered northwesterly with counties Clare, Cork and Kerry experiencing the most intense winds with the ongoing potential for wave overtopping in coastal areas.  A mix of sunny spells and scattered showers are expected countrywide for the rest of the day.

Figure  3:  Rainfall and Cloud forecast

The showers and winds will ease somewhat for midnight New Years celebrations with a sunny start in many areas on New Years Day and isolated showers. Cloud will thicken from the southwest through the afternoon with a further spell of rain late on Monday.

Make sure to check in on the forecast and warnings for your areas when making plans for the weekend on met.ie

The latest weather advisories and warnings for Ireland are on the Met Éireann Warnings page. These services and more are available on our free app – available from the App store for iPhone, and Play store for Android. Visit our Weather Warnings page.

For advice and information on staying save in severe weather, please consult www.winterready.ie