Eat outdoors while you can as sunny weekend set to give way to colder week

The weather is set to remain sunny and warm this weekend meaning we may well be able to eat outdoors - but not for long.

Weather conditions, currently quite balmy over much of the country - are set to change from the middle of next week, particularly in Dublin when chilly winds and low nighttime temperatures make eating outside more difficult.

The good news is that this weekend will see enjoyable, fairly typical conditions for September with highest temperatures of 15 to 17 degrees on Saturday with some sunny spells.

Sunday will be a dry and sunny day from early in the day with highest temperatures at between 16 and 19 degrees, with light easterly breezes.

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Monday too, is set to be a good day with sunshine to start the day. It will turn cloudier in the West by lunch time. Highest temperatures of 16 to 19 degrees with light to moderate southwest winds.

Change

However a big change is expected from Tuesday when rain is expected early on western coasts along with a cold front, introducing much cooler conditions.

It gets worse with the further outlook being for unsettled conditions, with temperatures dipping to a couple of degrees below normal for the time of year.

Met Éireann forecaster Paul Downes said the forecast for the foreseeable future was a tale of two different weather systems. Warm sunny conditions, many of which would be conductive to eating outdoor or chatting over the garden fence, will be replaced later in the week by rain and decisively chilly conditions.

Nighttime temperatures will be as high as 12 degrees on Friday particularly on east and south easterly coasts, but falling to between four and six degrees on Tuesday night.

In Connaught, mist and fog will lift on Saturday morning to give another dry bright day with sunny spells. Highs of 15 to 17 Celsius in moderate northeast to east breezes.

In Munster, it will be dry overnight tonight with clear spells in light, locally moderate, northeast breezes. Some mist and fog patches will develop towards dawn. Lows of six to nine degrees generally, but 10 to 12 degrees near the south coast. Mist and fog will lift on Saturday morning to give another dry bright day with sunny spells. Highs of 17 to 19 degrees generally in moderate northeast breezes. Milder in counties Cork and Kerry with highs of 19 to 21 degrees

Ulster is expected to be dry overnight with Saturday giving some mist, fog and cloud, but good sunny spells will develop as the morning wears on. Highs of 15 to 18 Celsius in moderate, locally fresh and gusty with east to northeast breezes.

Overall Mr Downes said conditions from Tuesday onwards were set to get a lot cooler, more autumnal with those sitting out starting to feel the nip of low temperatures.