Weather forecast: Thundery downpours, localised flooding, rainy spell extending into August

Hopes for an end to the current wet weather and a return to sunshine levels experienced in early June have been dashed, according to the latest weather reports from Met Éireann.

Both Met Éireann’s 10-day forecast and its extended-range forecast running well into August offer little hope of a break in the current “unsettled” and “changeable” weather.

The national forecaster said any bright spells in the east and north on Wednesday morning will quickly be replaced by mostly cloudy conditions with patchy rain and drizzle almost everywhere.

The rain will turn heavier and more persistent in all areas on Wednesday afternoon and evening, with heaviest downpours in the southwest, where Met Éireann has warned of localised flooding. Highest temperatures are expected to be between 16 and 19 degrees.

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Thursday is expected to start out mostly cloudy with patchy rain, drizzle and mist – although Met Éireann said there may be some sunshine between showers.

Friday will see the mix of sunny spells and scattered showers remaining, with more persistent rain tracking eastward over the country through the afternoon and evening.

The weekend is also looking anything but beach weather with Saturday shaping up to be “a rather blustery day”, Met Éireann said.

Showers in the west will become widespread during the afternoon, with some heavy and thundery downpours, particularly in the west and northwest, leading to spot flooding. Sunday is expected to be a wet day and see more showers, interrupted by spells of heavier rainfall.

Met Éireann meteorologist Deirdre Lowe said blustery conditions on Friday night with a mix of showers could be unusually strong for the time of year and would be worst in Ulster and Connacht as the area of low pressure remains at play. It is expected similar conditions will continue in the week ahead.

Met Éireann’s extended-range forecast for the coming month shows little chance of any return to sunny weather – at least until August 21st, but probably not then either.

The first week of August is expected to remain “changeable”, becoming a little wetter than average but with probably lower rainfall totals than occurred in the previous week. This is due to high pressure to the southwest of Ireland that could see some dry periods, at times. The potential for the heaviest showers is over Ulster.

From Monday, August 7th, to Sunday, August 13th, “changeable weather” is predicted with “summer showers which could be heavy or thundery”.

From Monday, August 14th, to Sunday, August 20th, Met Éireann said the high pressure will remain over the Mediterranean and that “more changeable weather” will remain over Ireland, adding: “thundery downpours cannot be ruled out.”

Met Éireann said it has “little confidence” in the forecast beyond August 21st but that “a drier signal than previous weeks is suggested with high pressure in the Atlantic having more of an influence”. It said “rainfall is expected to be close to normal in most areas but drier than normal near the west and north coast. Temperatures remain close to average.”