Weather set to turn colder this week with sub-zero temperatures and risk of ice, sleet

The weather will turn progressively colder this week with a risk of ice and sleet as temperatures fall to -2 degrees in some areas, according to Met Éireann.

Cloudy and patchy light rain and drizzle on Monday is set to clear southwards in the morning with cooler and sunnier conditions extending from the north. Isolated showers are forecast in the afternoon, especially over the Leinster area, with highest temperatures of 6 to 10 degrees.

Tuesday will see any mist, fog and frost gradually clear through the morning to leave a dry day with plenty of sunshine for most, with afternoon highs ranging from 5 to 8 degrees in light, variable breezes.

While it will be dry and cold with a mix of cloud and clear spells for most on Tuesday night, it forecast to be cloudier and milder near Atlantic coasts, with outbreaks of rain and drizzle developing overnight. Lowest air temperatures of -2 to 3 degrees are likely, with frost and icy patches forecast in some areas.

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Wednesday will be a cloudier day overall with showers or longer spells of rain. Mist and fog in some areas could be slow to clear in the morning with maximum daytime temperatures ranging from 4 to 7 degrees generally.

Outbreaks of rain in the west and south will gradually clear southwards on Wednesday night with colder and clearer conditions following from the north. Minimum temperatures will fall to between -2 and 2 degrees. Showers will develop on northern and northwestern coasts towards morning, some heavy with a risk of hail and sleet.

Thursday also looks set to be chilly day. While plenty of sunshine is indicated over the western half of the country, cloudier periods are likely further east with scattered showers, mainly in northern and eastern coastal counties.

Some showers could be wintry in nature, especially about higher terrain. Afternoon highs of just 2 to 6 degrees are forecast, with light to moderate northerly winds, freshening on coasts later.

Current indications for next weekend suggest a good deal of dry and bright weather in a cold northerly airflow for the first few days of meteorological winter, with scattered showers mainly confined to northern, western and eastern coasts.