Changeable weather expected for first weekend of 2015

Temperatures are expected to dip below freezing in many parts on Saturday night as alternating spells of cold, dry and wet weather take hold over the coming days.

After the heavy showers witnessed in many areas this morning, dry and occasionally sunny weather is expected throughout the course of Saturday. Night-time temperatures are expected to drop to minus three degrees with widespread frost and occasional icy patches.

"There'll be rain to start off with over Munster and Leinster- some of it pretty heavy- and then brighter weather will develop, with temperatures ranging from four to seven degrees on Saturday," said Met Éireann's Joan Blackburn.

“During Sunday it’s still cold, but getting milder as a southerly wind develops. There’ll be a lot of dry, bright, pleasant weather on Sunday with temperatures up a bit at six to nine degrees,” she added.

Light, patchy rain can be expected along western coastal areas tomorrow, but conditions will remain largely dry, if a little windy, for the rest of the country.

Temperatures could recover to highs of 11 degrees in parts on Monday, before a cold front bringing cloudy, rainy conditions crosses Ireland on Monday night.

Apart from the odd patch of ice, Tuesday will see moderate temperatures accompanied by some sunny weather and light breezes, with the rest of the week looking mild, wet and windy.