A grim start to Friday is not set to last with forecasters predicting an entirely different outlook for the weekend.
Gloomy skies, rain drenched streets and damp air will be no more according to Met Éireann, which predicts brighter days ahead.
At 9am on Friday, its website showed a murky rain bank sitting over Leinster and overviews of much of the same for the rest of the country until at least midday.
Its outlook for the day is defined by dull and misty conditions across the east with scattered outbreaks of rain and drizzle. Things should get a little drier and brighter in the west where the sun is even due to make an appearance. Temperatures on Friday will range from 13 to 18 degrees.
Despite some showers, Saturday is expected to bring a change in conditions with a warm and sunny day; temperatures even hitting as high as 21 degrees in one of the first early tastes of summertime.
Those temperatures are expected to be at their best inland and with the exception of some coastal breezes, there should be little trouble from the wind.
“Staying warm and mostly dry into the early days of next week with daytime temperatures generally rising into the high teens or low 20s,” Met Éireann said in a promising note on Friday morning.
Saturday night again should see mostly dry and clear conditions with warm air; although mist and shallow fog might hang about in some areas.
On Sunday, it should be more of the same, the day’s forecast full of “dry and warm” and “good sunny spells” predictions.
Temperatures again will break the 20 degree mark, although a little cooler in the south and west “but nonetheless still very mild”.
